Ishiba sticks to safe ground in aspirational but stale policy speech

Premier presents grandiose vision of an 'enjoyable Japan', but with few details

- Walter Sim

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba used his policy speech to Parliament on Jan 24 to reiterate some hard truths: His country is running short of people, its economy is sputtering, and its woeful food and energy self-sufficiency means it is vulnerable to the vagaries of geopolitics.

How, then, can Japan be an "enjoyable" country where, as Mr Ishiba said, its people can "feel safe and secure to pursue their dreams, and think that tomorrow will be better than today"?

The answer, he said, lies firstly in regional revitalisation - his pet project to address urban-rural inequalities and, ultimately, gender disparities - while also working closely with the opposition as chief of a minority government.

The Premier spoke for 40 minutes in a customary address to open Diet proceedings, with his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) planning to submit about 60 Bills during the marathon session ending on June 22.

His idea of nation-building is premised on running his minority government - after the LDP was hammered in an Oct 27 election as voters made their displeasure felt over money scandals - "based on the true meaning of democracy".

The 80th anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War II is prime time to think about democracy and constitutional revision, Mr Ishiba said, pointing to how democracy means "arriving at better final policies through sincere policy discussions that reflect the diverse voices of the people".

This will be the key driver behind achieving the wholesome vision of an "enjoyable Japan" that is driven by empowered individuals whose diversity is respected, and is built on his predecessors' ideas. The foundation is that of a "strong Japan", built by the government, with a "prosperous Japan" driven by business being the intermediate tier.