Why This General Election May Not Be a Bad Thing

 I was able to watch Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s press conference live last evening.
Her words were clear and steady, and her speech conveyed a sense that Japan can overcome this national crisis and move toward a brighter future.

 

Last evening, I watched Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s press conference live.

It was a strong speech, delivered with clarity, that suggested Japan could weather this national crisis and still look ahead to a hopeful future.

She repeated the word “work” again and again—perhaps five times in a row—saying, “I have always worked, worked, worked, worked, and worked.”

I believe Japan’s prime minister should be someone capable of working harder than anyone else in the country. At the very least, it is reassuring that she is not someone who spends every weekend playing golf.

Watching someone two years older than me continue to push herself forward makes me feel that I, too, should keep working hard for a while longer.

 

There have been many criticisms of this dissolution of the Diet.
The argument that it interferes with the passage of the new fiscal year budget is understandable.
But complaints about heavy snow, or the fact that it is exam season, strike me as irrelevant.

If we start avoiding elections because it is typhoon season, conference season, or any other inconvenience, when would elections ever be possible?

It is also pointed out that the current members of the House of Representatives still have a considerable term remaining. Even so, it is obvious that governing without a clear electoral mandate is a fundamental weakness for any cabinet.

 

For these reasons, I believe that this general election is, at the very least, not a bad thing.

The Japan Innovation Party will likely once again campaign on reducing the number of Diet members, and that issue itself deserves to be tested at the ballot box.

Calling an election while declaring that defeat would mean stepping down as prime minister and party leader is a bold and admirable stance.

In this era of fragmented politics and multiple parties, voters are presented with many choices.
This election is likely to become a memorable one.