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© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Kishida says only LDP capable of protecting Japan from security threats
By Mari Yamaguchi TOKYO©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.
81 Comments
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Good
He meant only the USA, not LDP
Haaa Nemui
Complete fear monger. I hope the public see through this and turf the LDP come election time.
vanityofvanities
Why do we not make efforts to promote friendship among us and prosper each other in Asia?
151E
There is some truth in what Kishida says in that the unelected bureaucrats tasked with turning policy into action largely self-identify with the LDP and will work to stymie any policy with which they are not in full agreement.
thepersoniamnow
In my one party state, yeah it is sort of true, although as others mentioned, the LDP is choreographed to sync with the US.
It is no coincidence that Japan has doubled its defense budget and Australia became part of Auckus.
Dangerous days ahead.
Jayel
China is destabilizing the region. Japan will have to act under the watchful eye of the USA no matter who is in charge. The LDP has promised so much and given little.
William77
Typical LDP,these ultra right wingers are only capable in manipulate the media with these threat things.
Let’s summarize,they want to change the peaceful constitution,raise the military spending,keep the borders close but they don’t care of social welfare,increase women’s and visible minorities rights.
A real old men’s club with a dream of blind revisionism.
James
What's he going to URGE them not to attack
Beto Ramirez
What a load of baloney
wontond
"We got us in this mess, as we're the only ones capable of getting us out."
I don't think I like this reasoning.
Kyo wa heiwa dayo ne
But who will protect Japan from kishida ?
Does he really want Japan to be part of the international community?
He's trying to sound democratic like he's allowing Japanese citizens to choose their future.
Lets see what he can do in a few weeks
Aly Rustom
exactly what the LDP is
Aly Rustom
Hear! Hear!
Michael Machida
Much Adooooo.
Cricky
Only the LDP? Grasping at straws there. Can you imagine the whole of the LDP waiting in suits on the beach, with plastic swords (they didn’t pass the test to get real ones). The man is an imbecile which begs the question what does that make the party members who knowingly voted him the leader.
ShinkansenCaboose
I believe everything I read here.
Kumagaijin
What he is trying to say is that the LDP is the only party thats capable of funding the military industrial complex (American and Japanese) with tax payer money.
Ichiro_WeatherForecaster
I don’t 100% agree with Kishida’s economic policy but,
as he mentioned above,
“The upcoming election is about choosing the future of Japan."
It’s not an exaggeration that next election is going to be a touchstone for Japanese that which thought they support, which thought can lead its economic growth in future. Which is Democratic or Communism.
Cricky
So continuing a one party state is the only was to be protected from a bigger one party state? Looks like we can all expect free pilot googles delivered to every household soon, hope they are not too small.
Hideomi Kuze
Incompetent ruling party LDP who has not been able to defend people from corona virus.
Kishida government is just puppet regime to divert public eyes from many missteps of LDP and their responsibility.
Yrral
Paper Tigers LOL
Sheikh Yerboaby
typical conservative nonsense
Sheikh Yerboaby
"....It’s not an exaggeration that next election is going to be a touchstone for Japanese that which thought they support, which thought can lead its economic growth in future. Which is Democratic or Communism...."
What a lot of garbage.....I'll hazard a guess that you are American and that you don't actually know what Communism is other than the big bad terrible way of life that you've been indoctrinated about.
smithinjapan
Kishida: "Only the LDP can properly suck up to the US (by paying them billions in weapons contracts) for your protection!"
egads man!
Kishida, sit down and shut up.
Septim Dynasty
Taiwan and Japan are so screwed if this is true.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_nq5jn01Ag&ab_channel=%E9%83%AD%E6%96%87%E8%B4%B5
Guo Wengui successfully predicted Covid-19, and numerous power purges within China. Of course, he was wrong on the collapse of the Hong Kong economy at the moment. Many of the facts that he stated was quite worrying, which one can confirm in the recent summit between China and US, that the US can renege on Taiwan as it did with South Vietnam or Afghanistan.
If Taiwan falls to China, Japanese economy will be essentially screwed.
moonbloom
In a sense Kishida is correct.
The LDP is the only party in Japan made by the US, and therefore as a proxy is the only party the US and its military wants to utilize.
Gaijinjland
He's got a point in a way. He means the LDP is the only party that can protect the US-Japan relationship, who in turn protect Japan. The Democratic party totally destroyed that relationship 10 years ago until Abe came to power and cozied up with Obama as quickly as possible.
Gaijinjland
Think about it. The Democratic party withheld vital information about Fukushima. They outright refused US assistance and the only accurate info coming out of Fukushima was from the US. The LDP may suck but there isn't any better option
Sven Asai
Yes, that’s of course right. But only until yesterday, when I saw on TV, that ReiwaNoTou wants to give everyone 200,000yen per month, while they probably give you nothing more than another a**kicking arrow. lol And believe me, with that monthly free amount I can build my own effective defense, including an atomic concrete bunker.
Gaijinjland
Does anyone think Japanese democracy is any better than US democracy? Both countries are not truly democratic because both nations don't directly elect their president or PM. And a lot of Americans don't even realize that because they think casting a ballot for president is the same thing as a vote.
Khuniri
Japan would have a healthier democracy if the LDP had responsible opponents. Unfortunately, it does not. The comments here are (predictably) abysmal. The only ones that do not bash the LDP are given thumbs-down..But Gaijinland is right...I wonder how many of the commentators are able to vote. I am. And I intend to support Kishida's party...
Cricky
The Democratic party withheld vital information about Fukushima. They outright refused US assistance and the only accurate info coming out of Fukushima was from the US.
think you might have that wrong, it was TEPCO and bureaucrats that withheld the information, Not the DP. The PM was so angry about that. You could see live on the BBC the meltdown explosion. But TEPCO said it’s all OK? So don’t blame the DP they were being misinformed by the bureaucrats and TEPCO. And we are expected to trust the same people with our future?
igfklin
Can the Japanese Communist Party, which advocates the dismantling of the Self-Defense Forces, protect Japan?
BakabonPapa
But who will protect Japan from the LDP?
sf2k
when the laughter died down, what'd he say after?
John Noun
Anyone that votes for him/his party is a very strange individual
Christopher Glen
Of course he would say that. His party has run the country almost without interruption for 60 years. The only "democracy" in the world to do so.
Christopher Glen
"In simple words: the LDP is a threat to the very existence of Japan, its economy, its society and, of course, its people. The LDP has to be weeded out and, behind the shed in the back of the garden, to be burned out of existence once and for all."
Agreed
Peter Neil
Countries run in spite of politicians.
Addfwyn
Absolutely fear mongering but...probably effective, depressingly. It's a line that has worked for them basically since inception, so they aren't really incentivized to change it. There is a tiny part of me that hopes the recent crises serve to motivate the voting populace, but I am not positive of that.
In_japan
He is suppose to do a PM's job not LDP/election promotion.
Kyo wa heiwa dayo ne
if kishida cares so very much about the future of Japan and its protection and the Japanese people's nation they why doesn't he have real details as to his plans .
this is kind of counter productive if he's truly interested in what's best for Japan.
sf2k
The one time in my life the LDP were not in power there was the major tsunami in 2011 and they used that to character assassinate Kan in the media and get back into power again where they promptly bailed out TEPCO. It's really quite hopeless. I have no idea how this country stays afloat
TARA TAN KITAOKA
Who is he kidding???
Simon Foston
KhuniriToday 09:29 am JST
Japan would have a healthier democracy if unconstitutional vote value disparities were fixed, if candidates in single-seat constituencies needed majorities to get elected and if politicians were banned from amassing their own election campaign funds. The LDP could fix these problems but it won't. You think that's responsible?
You're not really refuting any of them though, are you?
Anyone who can get Japanese nationality can vote, although I fail to see what that's got to do with anything. Are you insinuating that people who can't vote should keep their opinions to themselves, even though as taxpayers they're the politicians' employers just as much as the voters?
I'm pretty sure that you won't be able to explain why without opposition-bashing.
kenshin_u
In fact, these words are not wrong. The opposition parties are trying to bring anti-Japanese forces, CCP members and anti-Japanese Koreans, into Japan and are supporting the fabrication of history by China and Korea.
On the other hand, the Abe cabinet has visibly strengthened the regime against China, including the launch of the Quad and the conclusion of the CPTPP. There are many Diet members within the LDP who are concerned about China, so it is not a situation that can be trusted with peace of mind, but I feel that things are starting to move in the right direction, partly due to the fact that the LDP rejected the China-friendly Nikai. It is also a good sign that Taro Kono, whose family owns a company in China, did not become the prime minister in the election.
Personally, Kishida is not the best, but I think he was better than Kono. Also, the next PM will probably be Sanae Takaichi. I think she has the potential to be the best prime minister Japan has ever had. I am rooting for her.
egads man!
The LDP have been in power for 22 of the last 25 years. Of course they would say only they're capable of protecting Japan when no other party has been in power for as long.
kenshin_u
You do not properly understand how much the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) administration has destroyed Japan's security. And the Japanese who were involved remember it deeply.
shogun36
Ok.
But who's gonna protect us plebeians from LDP threats and power harassment executives in companies?
藤原
Only 自民党, in power for over 70 years, your results have bared fruit.
Everything was done as best as possible?
How is Japan 70 years after you took power, in its best position?
Will it take 70 more years or more like 700years of more your great achievements.
The LDP today, Reminds me of Erich Honecker more than a political party.
Richard Gallagher
The biggest threat to Japan is the LDP. There is a militarist taint to the party. A party which is at best, reactionary and conservative with a fascist bent.
The supposed threats are from a manufacturing and trade partner aka China and a third world country with a ramshackle army appropriate for fighting in the 19th century aka North Korea.
The biggest threat to Japan is the USA, as it remains a client-state of a waning Empire, that itself is a model for no actual democracy.
Incredible Kishida, attempts to paint his party as representing some peculiar wedge for fending off non-existen threats. Cheap politics. And a ridiculous posit.
bokuda
That's how Japan began itself the WW2.
...and here there we go again, WW3 is on the making.
kurisupisu
didou
Which threat ?
This is in your mind. You know nobody will attack you.
sf2k
Covid is/was a security issue, how'd that go. Oh....
Vaccines thrown out, not enough freezers, a litany of bungling everyday. The medical community must have been going apoplectic.
On top of that, How are those ambulances doing? Hospitals?
They are staying away because they know they'll be called out on whatever they say
What are the LDP qualifications beyond daddy and grandpa and Nippon Kaigi membership?
Simon Foston
kenshin_uToday 01:46 pm JST
I doubt if you can properly explain either.
warispeace
The usual fear mongering and spin to hide the next round of corporate welfare payments to the military industries, who will cycle some of the graft money back to their LDP loyalist. There seems no end to this class warfare.
kenshin_u
The majority of Japanese people think the same way, which is why the LDP is the largest political party.
Simon Foston
kenshin_uToday 04:50 pm JST
Perhaps you could tell us what you base that claim on, e.g. the total percentage of the Japanese electorate that voted for the LDP in the last House of Representatives election.
Simon Foston
In_japanToday 11:41 am JST
That's essentially what the PM's job is to the LDP. They govern in order to win elections, not the other way round.
kenshin_u
No, China is a military threat.
They are building artificial islands, setting up bases, threatening sea lanes, forcing their way into Hong Kong, and targeting Taiwan. After that, they will go after Japan. And are you saying that the US is a threat to Japan?
kenshin_u
There is not a single factor that makes me feel inferior to Koreans, but what exactly is it?
Also, not only me, but most Japanese people are close to the LDP, that's why the LDP is the biggest party in Japan, right? And don't you think that shows that your ideas don't fit with the ideas of most Japanese people?
sf2k
Maybe if the LDP government loses the next one can pay for the deprogramming counseling
kenshin_u
If you ignore the primary source, then the testimony of the Koreans is also not worth believing at all.
What is the source that proves the hellish life that Koreans claim to have? Was it to spread photos of Japanese in the coal mines after the war as Koreans in New York? Why did the Koreans lie and claim that the photos taken by a Japanese photographer of Japanese people were of Korean conscripts?
Simon Foston
kenshin_uToday 06:54 pm JST
Instead of posing these questions to random foreigners on the internet who don't know a whole lot about the topic and don't have as much... ah, interest in it as you, why don't you just go up to a Korean person and ask them face to face?
Simon Foston
kenshin_uToday 05:38 pm JST
I understand that the voter turnout was only about 53% and only got 48% of the constituency votes and 33% of the PR votes. Therefore I don't understand the assertion that most Japanese people are close to the LDP.
Happy Day
LDP has done a horrible job, based on how it has responded to COVID by following the propaganda promoting fear and vaccines. This is hardly to the benefit of the Japanese people, who face a minimal threat from COVID.
Paul
LOL, he is joking, right? The only ones that are capable of protecting Japan is US! SDF can't even shoot back!!!
blahblah222
It is inevitable that China will attack Japan once it have the military capability of doing so. Even if the CCP do not want it, the CCP would have a tough time in controlling its highly nationalistic population who have strong demand for a war of revenge. CCP will have its hands forced by the population once the population believes that the capabilities are there.
kennyG
Good. Kishida stated the fact straightforward and declared increasing defense budget.
All opposition basically are basically throwing up a smokescreen around the issues on national security.
ETHAN1001
He really means ''Only the LDP can promise to tax the rich and make society fairer but before we do that we need to make the rich, richer so that they can build more weapons for us to defend ourselves. My mates at Mitsubishi and other companies need to be richer to defend the country! Therefore, societal change will have to wait...until the next guy promises the same!''
kurisupisu
Kishida cannot defend against nuclear weapons nor missiles dropped from orbit.
Does he expect the electorate to be fooled by his lies?