Kishida says he has no plan to dissolve lower house next year

Speculation has mounted that Kishida will make further changes to ministerial posts to garner public support,

Who does it garner support from when the next minister is another hereditary LDP unqualified suit?

In December, the ruling bloc also approved a blueprint to raise corporate, income and tobacco taxes to fund the higher defense spending

Clever mouthpiece Kyodo, trying to slip the income taxes that most people care about between the corporate and tobacco taxes.

That is about the extent of the governing skills on display here.

For now he said. For now... That is a clear indication of his plan to change his mind.

Kishida says he has no plan….

And that says it all

Mr.JTB have other plans...for visits abroad,nicely paid vacation paid by japanese taxpayers and give no damned ...k to some Tarosan who pays for his wellbeing and luxury life.

With the Unification Church's questionable fundraising practices coming under scrutiny, the government has been investigating the group, with a view to requesting a court issue an order stripping it of its status as a religious corporation with tax benefits.

Asked about when a decision would be on requesting such an order, Kishida declined to indicate a timeframe but said the government is tackling the issue "with a sense of speed."

Speculation has mounted that Kishida will make further changes to ministerial posts to garner public support, but he denied the possibility of reshuffling his cabinet before the regular parliamentary session starts in late January, saying, "That is not in my mind."

so what IS “on his mind?”

It’s not pay or minimum wages.

It’s not better child day care and family support.

It’s not decentralizing Tokyo.

What does he actually do everyday again?

zoroto:

**We are going to raise corporate and tobacco taxes***

Tobacco taxes? Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it.

Biden and Kishida will have a summit in about 2 or 3 weeks. Let's see what other meat puppets show up - Justin Castro Trudeau, Macron the miniature Napoleon, and "Van der Crazy" and Scholz the G7 idiots.... This should be fun to watch...

I’m hoping his son has some sense, as he has been anointed as a future PM. Nothing like nepotism to make a country great.

"Kishida says he has no plan to dissolve lower house next year" = he has a plan. It is planned, make no mistake.

Looking at that fist, it beautifully symbolizes this man. A sign of aggression, but that angled wrist would break at first impact.

Only weeks ago govt was explicitly saying income taxes would not be raised for defense spending.

They want to take half of the Tohoku reconstruction tax (now at a 2% surplus income tax), funnel that 1% into defense funding, and then extend the reconstruction tax by 20 years--until 2057! Effectively an income tax hike.

BTW, why does it take 46 years to reconstruct Tohoku? Oh, right . . .

Facing growingly severe security challenges,

Kyodo continuing the propagandist tradition of its wartime Dōmei Tsushin roots. Japan is in very little danger of being attacked or invaded.

In a bid to achieve the defense expenditure goal, which is on par with NATO members

Japan is not a member of NATO. But the US wants Japan to increase its defense spending. And the LDP is loathe to say no to Uncle Sam (and the arms industry) on such matters.

The middle class in Japan really gets screwed on taxes. They pay through the nose and they get very little for it.

And this country wants to attract more professional foreigners. Who in their right mind would want to come to Japan and pay 50% of their income in tax

I’m not convinced the LDP is fully on board with engaging with 21st century economic and political realities. They’ve learned that even after three decades of economic stagnation, they can still stay in power virtually unopposed.

The LDP knows that eventually the public will accept the tax raises as inevitable, the taxes will go up (I’ve never seen go down here in over 30 years), and the public will keep voting for the LDP. Who else?!

He just has no plan full stop!

The LDP will not have an election with Kishida at the helm. That much I think is certain.

Who in their right mind would want to come to Japan and pay 50% of their income in tax.

Idealistic youngsters like me when I was younger :) Taxes become a bigger issue as time goes on. Wealthy foreigners would have to be too wealthy to care to want to submit themselves and families to Japan’s high taxes.

The LDP knows that eventually the public will accept the tax raises as inevitable, the taxes will go up (I’ve never seen go down here in over 30 years), and the public will keep voting for the LDP. Who else?!

They did trim corporate tax rates a little, but they remain higher than peers.

I hold out hope for the Japanese public preferring spending cuts over economically damaging tax rate hikes, but so far the opposition remains silent on what they would do differently instead preferring to focus on more trivial matters to score a few political points.

We all know by now that when a Japanese PM says he has "no plans" to do such and such it's only a matter of months the first time, and weeks when they repeat it.

The faster Japan kisses kishida goodbye the better for japan How about a new political party with youths with a modern philosophy as the present opposition is worser than LDP that’s y it wins every election

plasticmonkeyDec. 29, 2022  04:37 pm JST

The LDP knows that eventually the public will accept the tax raises as inevitable, the taxes will go up (I’ve never seen go down here in over 30 years), and the public will keep voting for the LDP. Who else?!

Only about a quarter of the electorate actually votes for the LDP.

AviBajajDec. 30, 2022  11:38 pm JST

The faster Japan kisses kishida goodbye the better for japan How about a new political party with youths with a modern philosophy

Great. Where's the money going to come from to fund candidates? They'll need about 300.

as the present opposition is worser than LDP

It's not possible to be worse than the LDP.

that’s y it wins every election

The LDP win because they cheat. Elections are basically rigged in their favour because of urban-rural vote value disparities and because they can outspend every other party.

fxgaiDec. 29, 2022  06:25 pm JST

I hold out hope for the Japanese public preferring spending cuts over economically damaging tax rate hikes, but so far the opposition remains silent on what they would do differently instead preferring to focus on more trivial matters to score a few political points.

It hardly matters what they say, or what they would do differently. Right now it's impossible for any single opposition party to overthrow the LDP and form a government.

City and prefecture elections will be held in April.