Japan New PM Sanae Takaichi's First Policy Speech in Parliament

Economic Revitalization & Fiscal Policy

• 💡 The new cabinet prioritizes a strong economy through responsible active fiscal policy to increase income, improve consumption, and boost tax revenue without raising tax rates.
• 🎯 Immediate action will be taken to address inflation and cost of living increases, including support for wage hikes and assistance for businesses affected by rising prices.
• 💰 Measures include reviewing contract unit prices, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and providing aid for medical and nursing care facilities facing financial difficulties.
• ✅ The government will address the "103-man-yen wall" by increasing the basic deduction to 1.6 million yen for year-end adjustments and will implement free high school and school lunch programs from April next year.

Strategic Growth & Innovation

• 🚀 A Japan Growth Strategy Council will be established to drive economic expansion through crisis management investment in areas like economic, food, energy, and health security, as well as national resilience.
• 🔬 Strategic sectors such as AI, semiconductors, shipbuilding, quantum technology, biotechnology, aerospace, and cybersecurity will receive bold investment promotion, international expansion support, and human resource development.
• 💡 The goal is to make Japan the easiest country to develop and utilize AI, accelerating R&D and industrialization of new digital technologies, including support for the content industry's overseas expansion.
• 📈 Efforts will be made to strengthen Japan's supply structure and attract global capital by fostering a reliable economy for international investors.

Social Security & Regional Development

• 🏥 Urgent measures are planned to support medical and nursing care institutions struggling with deficits, including reflecting wage and price increases in medical and long-term care fees.
• 🏘️ Regional revitalization will be pursued through strategic industrial clusters, leveraging technology and local resources, and supporting mid-sized companies, with examples like TSMC in Kumamoto and Rapidus in Hokkaido.
• ⚠️ Addressing population decline is a top priority, with plans to establish a system for child-rearing and child-care policies, and to manage the need for foreign workers while addressing concerns about illegal activities.
• 🚨 Significant investment will be made in disaster prevention and mitigation, including the establishment of a Disaster Prevention Agency, strengthening infrastructure, and improving prediction technologies for natural disasters.

Foreign Policy & National Security

• 🤝 Japan aims to restore its prominent role in global diplomacy by addressing international challenges and strengthening its diplomatic presence.
• 🇺🇸 The Japan-US alliance remains the cornerstone of foreign and security policy, with efforts to enhance deterrence and response capabilities, and deepen multilateral security dialogues.
• 🌏 Japan will continue to promote a Free and Open Indo-Pacific and strengthen cooperation with like-minded countries and Global South nations, while also seeking to expand the CPTPP.
• 🛡️ The government will fundamentally strengthen defense capabilities, aiming to achieve the 2% of GDP defense spending target within the current fiscal year and revising key security documents next year.

Governance & Legal Reforms

• ⚖️ The cabinet is committed to restoring public trust in politics through reforms and will engage in sincere dialogue with all parties on policy proposals.
• 👮‍♀️ Efforts will be made to combat internet-based crimes, strengthen regulations against fraud, stalking, and domestic violence, and review the judicial system for retrials.
• 📜 Discussions will be accelerated on constitutional reform and the stable succession of the Imperial Throne, with a focus on constructive debate across political parties.
• 🇯🇵 The 100th anniversary of the Showa era will be used as a national milestone to learn from past efforts and reaffirm Japan's commitment to peace and contributions to international stability and prosperity.