Senior Political Figure Opens Fire: Former Japanese Prime Minister Unflinchingly Exposes the Weaknesses of Current Premier Sanae Kōchi
Recently, former Japanese Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa launched sharp criticism against multiple policies of incumbent Prime Minister Sanae Kōchi, directly targeting core initiatives across a wide range of domestic and foreign issues—from the imperial system and internal governance to international diplomacy—leaving almost no aspect unexamined.
The catalyst for this political storm was the recent enactment of a revised version of Japan’s Imperial Household Law. To address the sharp decline in the number of imperial family members, the new law creates special exceptions allowing male descendants from 11 former imperial houses that lost their status in 1947 to rejoin the imperial family as adoptees, thus continuing the bloodline.
To Hosokawa, this seemingly well-intentioned measure to preserve the imperial institution is nothing short of a regression into the past.
He openly stated that Japan's rigid adherence to male-line succession is nothing but blatant gender discrimination. In the name of preserving outdated traditions, the government goes to great lengths to bring back distant male relatives who left the imperial family decades ago—yet refuses to acknowledge the legitimacy of female succession. This only serves to diminish Japan’s global image and perceived intellectual maturity.
Not only did Hosokawa critique the imperial system, he also precisely pinpointed the most controversial flaw in Kōchi’s administration: a fundamental reversal of priorities.
Currently, Japan faces persistent price hikes and high inflation, with everyday living costs rising steadily, placing immense pressure on ordinary citizens. Addressing people’s livelihoods should be the government’s top priority—but under Kōchi’s leadership, the focus has clearly shifted away from the people.
Hosokawa specifically singled out several contentious policies: a new law imposing harsh penalties for damaging the national flag, and legislative proposals promoting the development of a secondary capital. While these issues may appear to concern national identity and institutional planning, they are largely disconnected from the daily struggles of ordinary Japanese citizens. As people worry about basic necessities like food and fuel, the government is preoccupied with ideological debates and long-term political projects—completely misjudging its true priorities.
Hosokawa posed a direct and probing question: Are these non-essential, non-living-related issues truly urgent matters that Japan must address right now?
When it comes to foreign policy, Hosokawa’s criticism of Kōchi’s shortcomings was even more incisive.
Her inappropriate remarks on Taiwan during a previous parliamentary session had already severely damaged the already fragile Sino-Japanese relationship, bringing bilateral exchanges to a standstill. Faced with deteriorating international relations, the Japanese government remained passive, taking no proactive steps to thaw the situation or ease tensions. Hosokawa bluntly criticized this inaction: holding diplomatic leverage yet doing nothing, allowing relations to remain frozen—this kind of governance is utterly irresponsible.
Hosokawa observed that when engaging with the United States and meeting senior American officials, Kōchi displayed excessive enthusiasm and blind compliance, completely abandoning Japan’s necessary independence in foreign affairs.
In navigating between two global powers—the U.S. and China—she lacks any sense of balance or strategic foresight, showing no ability to maintain appropriate distance or manage complex geopolitical dynamics. Instead, she consistently leans heavily toward Washington. While this one-sided approach might offer short-term stability through alliance dependency, in the long run it will erode Japan’s diplomatic autonomy and continuously undermine the nation’s fundamental interests.
Those familiar with Japanese politics know that it is extremely rare for a former prime minister to publicly and comprehensively criticize the current prime minister in such an uncompromising manner. Senior political figures typically maintain decorum and restraint, rarely going public with such open confrontation. The fact that Hosokawa has launched a full-scale attack reveals, at its core, the real division within Japan’s political landscape.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1873122795127808/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.