Tax hike an option to boost Japan's defense spending: LDP panel head

How about first cutting all the projects that are a waste of our taxes, e.g. state funerals, corrupt Olympics, etc…?

Heck, the money they give Dentsu every year would probably cover the defense expenses and then some.

he does not exclude the option of raising the income or corporate tax.

Any guess which it will be with the LDP corporato racy?

Kishidas New Capitalism said it's goal was wealth redistribution, what was unsaid was that as always it would be redistributed away from workers to the give or take 1 percent in Japan top of the LDP/ Japan Inc.

Incredible. Truly deluded. How out of touch with the struggle of average tax payers.

That camel seems to be buckling at the knees, how much more straw are they piling on?.

You know they're gonna do it. Now that Abe's faction got its militaristic memorial service for their dear leader, they've enshrined militarism and extra military spending. Just think how happy the defense contractors will be! Just think of all the possibilities for bribes and kickbacks! The LDP is chomping at the bit.

I've always been surprised at how little pushback there is from the public or even the opposition parties when the LDP raises taxes. There's often a kind of "shoganai" attitude.

Voters should make it clear how they feel about this BS.

Yoichi Miyazawa is son of a former justice minister and governor of Hiroshima Prefecture, nephew of the late PM Kiichi Miyazawa, and cousin to the current PM Kishida. I'm quite sure he has no sense of what economic hardship feels like. Privileged elitist snob.

So their idea of a Beautiful Japan is a defence force manned by geriatrics operating billion dollar equipment, defending a population of geriatrics in poverty. Conscription will be next, to get the numbers. What a messed up plan.

Just checked it. Miyazawa is one of the wealthiest Diet members. So what does he care about wasting other people's money.

Ahh yes, as prices are ticking up, let's raise taxes. Perfect timing. Maybe if Japan's ruling elite are so insistent increasing military spending, they increase taxes on themselves.

You and I and everyone knows the burden on normal citizens will be increased in "democratic" Japan.

Take notes UK. This is how government works. If you want something you have to fund it.

After taxes are raised the economy will slide even lower. At which point the LDP will implement some new "stimulus measures" (i.e. useless construction projects in the boonies, given to friends of the LDP) to supposedly offset the impact of the tax hikes. This has happened time after time.

If they raise our taxes again, that will be the last straw. You will find me protesting on the streets trying to wake these people up on the corruption. Everyone is turning a blind eye with their shouganai attitude and it really needs to stop. Can't let the LDP suki katte anymore!

It’s funny!

To suggest cutting taxes in the UK is blasphemy, here at JT.

Also here at JT, to suggest raising taxes in Japan is blasphemy.

Personally I think Japan could reform its spending programs an easily come up with 5-7 trillion reductions in existing expenditure.

But the problem is, it’s not like Japan is paying its own way, as it is. Japanese tax revenues are around 65 trillion per year, whereas they spend upwards of 100 trillion per year.

They borrow the rest, hence the accumulated debt has exceeded twice the size of the economy.

And here they are, not talking about the existing problem of 40 trillion of unfunded spending, but how to pay for an extra 5-7 trillion extra military spending.

You know what they do in the end with their “fiscal discipline” - they delay it. My guess is that they try to get away with extra borrowing to fund the military increase too. It’s the easiest option for these political weaklings. The BOJ has its eyes shut to the increasing inflation problem, and will complicity snap up the extra debt as well.

Enjoy the increasing inflation, one and all!

No!!!

Taxes here already excessive. And anyway they don begin to cover government spending. This is more fantasy stuff from the government - supported by the BoJ continuing to print yen and buy JGBś.

I can't be convinced that military spending is beneficial to Japan. Sure, in some hypothetical future scenario, maybe the Chinese will have some strategic advantage, but then what? China is not going to invade Japan (and neither is North Korea or Russia), try to occupy or invade Okinawa, or even attempt to build a base in the Senkaku's as long as the US military has a presence here. If anything, Japan should either bolster US presence and spend less on defense, or visa versa, but not both since the Japanese tax payer has to foot the bill.

The best decision would be to make peace with the Chinese. Settle these territorial disputes that have no-end in site. Its looking like things will continue past the 100th anniversary of the start of WWII which is only 17 years away. Its sad to think humans are just as incapable of making peace as they were 700 years ago.

The best decision would be to make peace with the Chinese.

You know something about the CCP?

They say they will attack Taiwan if need be to bring them under their control. Then they will do to them what they did to people in Hong Kong.

You think it would be different where Okinawa is concerned? And chunk by chunk…. No thanks.

Doesn’t make so much sense. If the taxes are raised, people will buy less, then the companies of course sell less and have less profits respectively from which they then pay less taxes. They might get some of the first defense program tax money quickly but also less in the midrange term, so that it again lacks later. And btw they should already have more tax input due to the mega inflation moon prices. Isn’t that sufficient already?

Heard the US defense industry response was “ka-ching! Thanks suckers!”.

@Sven Asai

If the taxes are raised, people will buy less, then the companies of course sell less and have less profits respectively from which they then pay less taxes.

Japanese government is hoping that foreign tourists pay the sales tax.

Japan's two major industries are finance and tourism/hospitality, with manufacturing in decline.

Taxes is a way of life. It’s nothing new!