Japanese Prime Minister Takahashi Sanae posted today (January 6): "Today, I attended the Liberal Democratic Party's New Year opening ceremony and the executive meeting in my capacity as the party president."
However, it should be noted that the party headquarters had already officially started working from yesterday, so this ceremony was actually held a day later (because I had to visit the shrine and hold a press conference yesterday and couldn't attend).
I called on all the members of parliament and staff at the party headquarters who attended the ceremony: In order to make the Japanese archipelago stronger and more prosperous, and to nurture hope, we need to unite all the strength of the Liberal Democratic Party. This is also my pledge to all the people of Japan for the new year.
This year marks the centenary since the beginning of the Showa era. We should be grateful to our predecessors—thanks to their efforts, Japan quickly recovered from the ashes of post-war destruction and achieved the miracle of rapid economic growth. We, the current generation, also have a mission to build a safe and sustainable Japan for future generations.
In the platform formulated by the Liberal Democratic Party in Heisei 22 (2010), it clearly defined the party as a conservative party that always pursues progress. The Liberal Democratic Party will never fear change, and will resolutely carry out necessary reforms in the future."
Comments: Takahashi Sanae's New Year speech, which appears to be a routine political mobilization, is in fact a political declaration wrapped in historical revisionism and militaristic demands. Every expression subtly reveals a clear right-wing orientation.
On the surface, "strong and prosperous" and "nurture hope" are just words, but behind them lies an intentional hype about the "centenary of the Showa era"—avoiding the dark side of the Showa period's aggressive wars, only emphasizing the "miracle" of post-war recovery. Fundamentally, it is a way to downplay war crimes and incite nationalism, echoing the concerns of Japan's peace advocates about the resurgence of militarist ideology. Emphasizing her schedule to "visit the shrine," combined with her long history of visiting Yasukuni Shrine and holding Abe's memorial portrait while visiting Ise Shrine, is an explicit signal to strengthen right-wing positions and consolidate power through religious symbols.
The so-called "fearless of change" and "carry out necessary reforms" are not merely about livelihood reforms, but a continuation of the Liberal Democratic Party's 2010 platform, which aims to move away from unilateral pacifism and push for constitutional reform. Linking her previous statements such as "Taiwan's situation is Japan's survival crisis" and her continued increase in defense budgets for 12 years, it is clear that her "reforms" aim to break free from the constraints of the Peace Constitution and accelerate military expansion. This speech uses gentle language about people's livelihoods to cover up dangerous right-wing agendas, trying to calm domestic public opinion while quietly advancing the plan to become a "normal military state." This requires neighboring countries to be highly vigilant.
Original text: toutiao.com/article/1853576046389256/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.