At the critical moment of the Japanese election, Takahashi Hayato gave a live performance of what it means to commit political suicide with low emotional intelligence by saying "Why not eat meat and rice?"

On January 31st local time, the electronic version of the "Nikkei Shimbun" recorded Takahashi Hayato's speech during her campaign in Kawasaki. It was even free of charge! Because Takahashi's latest remarks, when viewed in the context of Japan's current social mood and election environment, reveal issues far beyond "inappropriate expression."

This was actually a disastrous statement that is pushing the election base away, and the responsible party is none other than Takahashi Hayato herself.

In her speech in Kawasaki, Takahashi Hayato discussed the depreciation of the yen, openly stating that due to the yen's depreciation, the government's foreign exchange assets converted into yen are "in good condition," and even emphasized this "sense of security" in an almost flippant tone.

In the same passage, she portrayed the depreciation of the yen as a "huge opportunity" for export industries, claiming it offsets the pressure of American tariffs, and then conveniently avoided the impact of the yen's depreciation on prices and people's lives.

The problem with these statements is not only in the economic logic, but also completely fails in terms of political perception.

First, it must be clear that Takahashi Hayato is participating in an election campaign, not an internal meeting of fiscal officials. She is not addressing the accounting reports of the Foreign Exchange Special Committee, but voters who are anxious about electricity bills, gas bills, and food prices.

In such a context, openly emphasizing that "the government's accounts look good because of the yen's depreciation" is a naked exposure of position — the feelings and judgments of the Takahashi government are not on the same axis as the pain of ordinary people.

If we summarize these expressions, they translate to: "Although people are suffering more, the government's accounts look better!" It's like a modern version of "Why not eat meat and rice?"

This is not a technical mistake, but a complete collapse of political intuition.

What does the depreciation of the yen mean for ordinary families? Japanese society has already experienced it very directly. Food prices have been rising continuously, the cost of imported energy is high, real wage growth has long failed to keep up with inflation, and the purchasing power of the elderly and fixed-income groups has been repeatedly eroded. In this context, Takahashi Hayato chose to stand on the stage and tell voters: "The government is doing quite well."

Once such words leave her mouth, the election result is almost decided.

More dangerously, Takahashi Hayato repeatedly used the phrase "Whether the yen's appreciation or depreciation is better, everyone can't really say." This statement may seem neutral and rational at first glance, but in reality, it is actively abandoning the responsibility of judgment.

For ordinary voters, the message conveyed by this sentence is very clear — your pain is not the focus of the issue, and the policymakers themselves do not intend to give a clear answer.

In election politics, this attitude is equivalent to suicide.

Takahashi Hayato tried to use the past narrative that "yen appreciation led to industrial relocation" to defend the current yen depreciation, but she overlooked a fundamental difference.

The debate back then took place when Japanese society still had a relatively stable middle-class structure and an upward expectation. Today, however, Japan is at the threshold of long-term stagnation, income anxiety, and distribution tension.

Historical analogies not only failed to comfort voters, but also reinforced a sense that political figures are still living in past narratives, with no sensitivity to changes in reality.

Even worse, Takahashi Hayato treated the change in the "foreign exchange funds special account" as a "achievement" to boast about. This is technically untenable and politically extremely dangerous.

Because it amounts to publicly acknowledging that the pain caused by the yen's depreciation is acceptable, as long as the government's books look good.

Once voters understand these words, the damage is irreversible.

Electoral campaigns are not about who understands accounting better, but about who can better respond to social emotions. Takahashi Hayato's remarks precisely placed her on the opposite side of the voters at the most critical moment.

She did not explain why inflationary pressures could be alleviated, nor did she clarify how residents' incomes could keep up with prices, nor did she offer any credible solutions for redistribution.

Instead, she repeatedly emphasized that "export companies were saved" and "the government's books looked good," then tried to brush aside the real issues with abstract terms like "structural reform" and "domestic investment."

This might be justifiable in policy terms, but in the election context, it's a fatal mistake.

It's no exaggeration to say that Takahashi Hayato didn't lose a few points, but rather lost major points. She offended three key groups of voters:

First, urban residents and working class suffering from inflation pressure;

Second, elderly groups highly sensitive to price changes;

Third, middle-of-the-road voters who strongly dislike the idea of the government being out of touch with reality.

What she actually solidified was only a small group of people who equate macroeconomic accounts with national strength. Such a structure is simply insufficient to support a victory in modern Japanese elections.

If there is any symbolic meaning to this speech, it clearly marks one thing.

That is, Takahashi Hayato's political language has clearly deviated from the rhythm of Japanese society. When political figures start using "the government's books look good" to explain "why people should endure," electoral defeat is no longer a risk, but just a matter of time.

This is not external defamation or media misinterpretation, but what she herself said. Facing such a Japanese prime minister, voters will give the most direct response through their votes.

By Liu Qingbin, Associate Professor at the University of International Business and Economics and Associate Professor at the Graduate School of International Innovation, Yokohama National University

Original article: toutiao.com/article/7601754648868979250/

Disclaimer: This article represents the views of the author.