Ishiba's 'Joyful Japan' Out of Sync With Nation's Challenges

このページを日本語で読む

Is this what our government leaders have unveiled as the basic policy for running Japan? We are referring here to the "Joyful Japan" (Tanoshii Nihon) initiative that Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba advocated in his policy speech at the opening of the regular Diet session convened on January 24.

"We must face up to the reality our country faces," the Prime Minister said at the start of his speech. He pointed out that the working-age population in Japan is projected to decline by more than 20% over the next two decades and called for a shift to a sustainable system.

That is an important challenge for the nation. To meet the challenge, the Japanese people must tackle individual challenges. In any event, such a transition will not be easy. But where does the nation itself stand in his policy?

Ishiba's 'Joyful Japan'

Despite the serious national security and economic challenges, the Prime Minister chose to emphasize his goal of creating a "Joyful Japan."

The impression he created was undeniably disjointed. Along with it, the childish expressions he employed left us with a strong sense of discomfort. Wasn't Ishiba underestimating the character of the Japanese people by assuming they were preoccupied with service and their own comfort?

A truly "Joyful Japan" would be a dynamic nation where people feel safe and secure, believing that "tomorrow will be better than today." They would respect others with diverse values and be able to achieve self-actualization.

In striving for a better Japan, it is only natural to aim for improved lifestyles. Self-actualization and vitality are also important. However, this cannot be achieved merely by pandering to the people with the slogan "Joyful Japan."

The President Kennedy Approach

Recall the famous line from the inaugural address of former United States President John F Kennedy: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." What an astonishing difference there is in the attitudes adopted by President Kennedy and Prime Minister Ishiba.

To overcome the crisis we now face, the Prime Minister should have called on the Japanese people to stand up for the sake of the future and their descendants, even though the road ahead will be arduous.

*Japanese PM Ishiba has not met President Trump, but he met President Xi of China on the sidelines of APEC in Peru in November 2024. (©Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister)*

In Need of Better Diplomacy and Security

Ishiba's discussion of diplomatic and security issues also lacked substance. In his speech, the Prime Minister declared he wanted "to elevate the Japan-US alliance to even greater heights." However, he did not offer any specific policies for accomplishing that goal.

Regarding relations with China, he said, "We will assert our position where we should and cooperate in areas where cooperation is possible."

That is the kind of position that anyone could take. It is more concerning that Ishiba did not touch on sensitive bilateral issues anywhere in his address. He did not even mention China's arbitrary detention of Japanese nationals. Also, he didn't talk about the dangerous situation in the East and South China Seas, including the Senkaku I slands. He even avoided the familiar call for "peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."

As for domestic policies, Ishiba called for a "Reiwa Era Plan for Remodeling the Japanese Archipelago." By that, he meant the challenge of revitalizing local areas.

At the same time, however, the Prime Minister did not explain how the vitality of large urban areas would be increased. These population hubs drive the Japanese economy. Their prosperity must be advanced, even while revitalizing local areas.