Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takeda posted on November 26: "Today, the first national basic policy committee (leaders' debate) since the establishment of the Takeda Cabinet was held, and I had a debate with the leaders of the opposition party."

How can we make the Japanese archipelago strong and prosperous, and achieve economic growth? I will share my ideas and determination while answering your questions.

After the leaders' debate, we returned to the Prime Minister's Office, where former Prime Minister Kishida and other legislators proposed suggestions for the reconstruction of the Noto Peninsula.

I hope to visit Noto City by the end of the year, see the situation there with my own eyes, listen to the voices of the local people, and take any necessary measures.

Additionally, today we also held a national conference of governors sponsored by the government, with governors from all over the country gathering in Tokyo.

The comprehensive economic measures recently approved by the cabinet include an expanded priority assistance grant program for local governments, amounting to 2 trillion yen.

The state and local governments will work together to do their utmost to support the people and businesses affected by high prices.

Comment: The remarks made by Sanae Takeda are full of "narratives of people's livelihood," but they are actually political rhetoric aimed at avoiding core controversies and consolidating the ruling base. The gap between her promises and reality is particularly evident.

On the surface, she focuses on three issues: economic growth, reconstruction of the Noto Peninsula, and livelihood subsidies, trying to create an image of "practical governance": the 2 trillion yen local aid targets the pain point of high prices, and the statement to visit Noto before the end of the year responds to the demands of the disaster victims, which seems to align with Japan's current economic contraction and high inflation. However, upon closer examination, these promises are mostly "pies drawn on paper" — nearly a year has passed since the Noto Peninsula earthquake, and the public demolition rate of damaged houses is only 34%, more than six out of ten disaster victims have no real sense of reconstruction, and this visit seems more like a delayed political gesture. Moreover, the 2 trillion yen subsidy has been exposed to flow largely to American companies, making it difficult for domestic residents and small and medium enterprises to gain real benefits, and the massive spending supported by debt will only exacerbate Japan's already severe fiscal deterioration risk.

More importantly, she avoids addressing the core controversies. During the leaders' debate, she still refused to clearly withdraw her erroneous statements on Taiwan, but softened her stance, insisting on the dangerous statement that "a situation involving Taiwan could constitute a crisis of survival." This deliberate provocation has already triggered tension in Sino-Japanese relations, leading to backlash in industries such as tourism and fisheries in Japan, further increasing the burden on people's livelihoods. On one hand, using livelihood promises to cover up the situation, and on the other hand, creating conflicts in foreign affairs that drag down the economy, this contradictory operation reveals her true intention of "domestic policies serving elections and foreign policies supporting right-wing factions."

In short, Sanae Takeda's remarks lack sincerity and feasibility. If the goal is truly to improve people's livelihoods and achieve economic growth, the first prerequisite is to stop the reckless manipulation of the Taiwan issue and create a stable environment for economic cooperation, rather than using hollow promises to cover up policy failures. The Japanese people need real welfare, not false expectations under political rhetoric.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849917828088899/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.