Japan Brief/FPCJ, No. 0942
July 29, 2009


DPJ Announces Manifesto for Upcoming General Election

Democratic Party of Japan President Yukio Hatoyama held a press conference in Tokyo on July 27 to announce the DPJ’s manifesto of party pledges for the upcoming House of Representatives election. The general election will be officially announced on August 18, and voting will take place on August 30.

According to newspaper reports, the DPJ’s manifesto proposes priority policies in five areas: wasteful spending, child-raising and education, pensions and medical care, regional sovereignty, and employment and the economy. Bringing support for the people’s livelihood to the fore, it proposes such measures as the establishment of a child allowance providing a monthly sum of 26,000 yen per child until graduation from junior high school; the elimination of public senior high school tuition fees; the abolition of highway tolls; and the establishment of an agricultural household income compensation scheme.

The manifesto includes a four-year schedule showing that some main policies would be implemented from fiscal 2010 and indicating the budget amounts that would be necessary. For the first fiscal year, it cites a total figure of 7.1 trillion yen for the introduction of the child allowance (half of the eventual monthly benefit, that is, 13,000 yen per child); elimination of tuition fees for public senior high schools; abolition of provisional rates for the gasoline tax and other taxes; and other measures. In fiscal 2013, when the new policies would be fully implemented, total financial sources of 16.8 trillion yen would be necessary. The DPJ argues that this sum could be covered by, among other things, completely reorganizing the budget and eliminating wasteful expenditure.

Furthermore, as the concept of government management for the realization of these policies, the DPJ’s manifesto proposes a decision-making system led by politicians rather than bureaucrats, including (1) the assignment of more than 100 members of the Diet to the government, including ministers, senior vice-ministers, and parliamentary secretaries, and (2) the establishment of a National Strategy Bureau reporting directly to the prime minister to decide on the national vision and budget outline. At the press conference, DPJ President Hatoyama said (Mainichi Shimbun, July 28), “In place of the bureaucracy-led politics that has continued since the Meiji Restoration [in the nineteenth century], we will build a political system in which the people are the main actors. It will be a historic shift.”

Regarding foreign policy, the manifesto clearly states the DPJ’s position of emphasizing Japan-US relations, declaring that the DPJ “will build a close and equal Japan-US allied relationship.” Regarding the Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement, which previously the DPJ had said required drastic revision, the manifesto goes no further than saying that “a revision will be proposed.” In addition, the manifesto does not mention the refueling operation by the Maritime Self-Defense Force in the Indian Ocean, to which the DPJ had previously declared its opposition. The Asahi Shimbun (July 28) commented, “The DPJ has left room so that it can respond flexibly after a change of government.”

At the press conference DPJ President Hatoyama stated clearly that if he were appointed prime minister after the general election and then was unable to realize the pledges, “I will take responsibility as a politician.” Regarding a consumption tax hike, while insisting that there would be no hike for four years after the DPJ took power, DPJ President Hatoyama indicated that he would approve a debate on a tax increase.

Major Newspaper Editorials

All of Japan’s major newspapers commented on the DPJ’s manifesto in their July 28 editorials. The Mainichi editorial remarked, “As a change of government becomes increasingly plausible, the DPJ’s manifesto is extremely important, because it would serve as a guideline for a Hatoyama administration.” Accordingly, imagining the possible birth of a DPJ government, the newspapers gave a certain degree of praise to the manifesto but at the same time made some severe requests and cast some doubts on the document in general.

Under the headline “DPJ’s newfound realism fails to convince,” the Yomiuri Shimbun editorial said, “We find it commendable that the leading opposition party has adopted a realistic stance in its domestic and foreign policies, apparently determined to take over the reins of government. Still, the DPJ’s electoral pledges must be regarded as inadequate.” It went on, “. . . it is questionable whether it is really possible to secure the massive sums required to carry out the DPJ’s policies simply by compiling the overall national budget---which currently stands at about 207 trillion yen---in a manner that has never been used before.” As for foreign and national security policies, the Yomiuri continued, “. . . the manifesto makes no mention of the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s refueling mission in the Indian Ocean, which the DPJ has opposed. The party has in fact said it would allow the mission to continue for the time being. Also, the language in the latest manifesto is milder with regard to revising the Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement and reviewing the cost of hosting US bases in the country. The DPJ is on right track when it attaches importance to the continuity of Japan’s foreign policy and the Japan-US relationship, but its policy shift is too abrupt.”

The Asahi editorial, headlined “Minshuto’s manifesto: A good effort, but both parties must do more,” observed questioningly, “What is even more notable is Minshuto’s [Democratic Party of Japan] pledge to dramatically alter the government’s decision-making system. . . . These measures, if implemented, would radically change the current system for budget and policy development, which is under bureaucratic control. Minshuto President Yukio Hatoyama’s enthusiasm about what he describes as a ‘historic shift’ is understandable. But bureaucrats will inevitably put up fierce resistance in order to maintain their powers. Would a Minshuto government have sufficient political muscle to overcome this resistance? Is the party capable of establishing political leadership in policymaking?”

The Mainichi editorial, titled “DPJ election manifesto: Pledge to shift away from bureaucracy will be heavy,” commented, “The manifesto conveys the DPJ’s enthusiasm to change politics, but almost no mention is made of the consumption tax, and the part about foreign policy and national security is weak on specifics and lacks persuasion. The DPJ should give more explanations to the public.” It went on, “The highlight of the manifesto is the idea of unifying the government and the ruling party toward a system of government led by politicians. . . . The DPJ should further clarify the specifics and schedule of this new idea.”

Under the headline “Expectations and doubts concerning the DPJ’s manifesto aimed at taking over the government,” The Nikkei editorial remarked, “The manifesto advocates five pledges centered on complete reorganization of the budget and the elimination of wasteful spending, and conveys the DPJ’s eagerness for a change of government. However, individual policies include a lot of reckless spending, and one gets the impression that the DPJ has deliberately avoided discussing financial sources and the increased burden.”

The Sankei Shimbun editorial, headlined “DPJ manifesto: Clarification of national strategy should come first,” opined, “It is all right for the DPJ to aim for the establishment of a system of government led by politicians once it gains power, but the problem is that the content of the politics that it will conduct under that setup is not clearly visible. Its foreign and security policies lack specifics, and its efforts to discuss constitutional revision are wishy-washy. The DPJ has focused on domestic measures, such as the child allowance, but the manifesto does not mention the consumption tax, which would be a stable financial source for social security. We can understand the desire to do away with wasteful spending, but the DPJ will not be able to show its ability to govern the nation unless it sets out a clear national strategy.”

(Copyright 2009 Foreign Press Center, Japan)
*Japan Brief is an original production of the Foreign Press Center, Japan, and does not represent the views of the Government of Japan or of any other body.


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