64% disapprove of tax hikes to cover Japan's rising defense budget: poll

Everyone loves a free lunch! Paying for a lunch you did not choose yourself is a different matter.

And 34% approve with paying more or they just don’t have a clue?

Who approves Kishida raising taxes is correct?

The opinions of the Japanese tax payer are irrelevant. The Lords in the Pentagon have spoken and must be obeyed.

At this point it seems that the few positive things happening (the Unification Church pseudo cleansing and the prosecution of corruption on the Olympic games for example) are being spended in the never ending project of the LDP of giving as much money as possible to the military. Unfortunately the Japanese population seems unwilling to do anything to correct this situation even if the majority disapproves.

64% disapprove of tax hikes to cover Japan's rising defense budget: poll

a majority disapproved of holding the Olympics during the pandemic.

a majority disapproved of a state sponsored funeral for Abe.

Does the LDP care about the public's opinion about the tax hike or anything else for that matter?

The answer is a big fat NO.

the taxpayers should decide on where they want their taxes to go to. This arms race will not end well for anybody, Japan will just end up poorer and a stockpile full of toys all while the arms makers are laughing all the way to the bank. The thing here is this, the more toys you have, the more you want to play with them to get your money's worth. Don't chase the rabbit.

no strike.........., Japanese have a habit to obey blindly.

It doesn't matter what the people think. The LDP will eventually close ranks and ram this through the Diet just like the way they did the 安保 in 1960 with Abe's granpappy, Kishi. Vote LDP, you get LDP and when Japanese wake up, it will be too late.

I think that Kishida's approval rating would rise if he introduced a pachinko tax and a religious corporation tax -only a few percent of donation revenues.

Vote LDP, you get LDP and when Japanese wake up, it will be too late.

You miss understand it is when you don't vote you get LDP. With over 55% of Japanese citizens not voting and obviously showing that 30% are voting for LDP leaving 15% that are voting opposition it is a guarantee that they get reelected. Japanese need to Stop Not Voting. It isn't worth going to vote as nothing changes propaganda is for a reason.

it sounds ridiculous that 36% is willing to pay more taxes

You may misunderstand.

I could easily imagine that that 36% are those who do not smoke, and do not earn a wage from a Japanese corporation.

So what do they care about the people who will bear the brunt of the higher tax burden?

Mr KiplingToday  07:54 am JST

The opinions of the Japanese tax payer are irrelevant. The Lords in the Pentagon have spoken and must be obeyed.

I agree!

Japan, will print more fake money to give it to US

Looks like it's gonna be bonds.

I am wondering if nuclear weapons wouldn't be not only more effective, but also cheaper?

I do realize they are unpopular, but if the last years showed us one thing, it's that nuclear deterrent works. How many countries have been invaded/attacked over the last 10 years? How many countries with access to nuclear weapons have been invaded/attacked?

It is unfortunate, but it does work...

Choices pretty clear:

Cut other spending and allocate to increased defense spending

Raise taxes

If the approval rating continues to slide, the LDP might replace Kishida, benefit from a 'new manager bounce' and then win the next election.

If they carefully rephrase the militarisation rhetoric and are vague/opaque about funding it, the approval rating will creep up, the LDP will retain Kishida and then win the next election.

I doubt the LDP is losing sleep over this.

How about some more cuts in government workers salaries? That would save quite a bit of cash:

By political party, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s lawmakers had the highest average income at ¥25.20 million. Opposition Nippon Ishin no Kai came next with ¥19.77 million, followed by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) at ¥19.09 million.

> Upper House lawmaker Taichiro Motoe of the LDP was the only lawmaker to earn over ¥100 million. His income totaled ¥1.29 billion, mainly reflecting dividends from investment trusts, though it fell from the previous year’s ¥1.9 billion.

> Income earned by Lower House lawmakers Ichiro Aisawa and Ryu Shionoya, both of the LDP, stood at ¥85.06 million and ¥77.15 million, respectively.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/07/04/national/lawmakers-income-2021/

64% disapprove of tax hikes to cover Japan's rising defense budget: poll

a majority disapproved of holding the Olympics during the pandemic.

a majority disapproved of a state sponsored funeral for Abe.

And 98% of Japanese wanted the border to remain closed and oppose immigration.

Does the LDP care about the public's opinion about the tax hike or anything else for that matter?

The answer is a big fat NO.

Right on!

4% disapprove of tax hikes to cover Japan's rising defense budget: poll

a majority disapproved of holding the Olympics during the pandemic.

a majority disapproved of a state sponsored funeral for Abe.

98% of Japanese wanted the border to remain closed and oppose immigration.

Does the LDP care about the public's opinion about the tax hike or anything else for that matter?

The answer is a big fat NO.

Right on!

Olympics followed by defense spending..while we have largest percentage of elder care burden !

is this the best use of taxes ?

young Japanese have a huge load to bear with no safety net. Not a good look.

The Japanese LDP are the reverse Robin Hood. They take from the poor and give to the rich. Take back the tax cuts Abe gave to corporations that were supposed to be passed on as salary increases and were'nt.

When you're paying 12% shohizei this time next year and getting angry, calm down and remember that you have made the shareholders of Raytheon and Boeing very happy. It's nice to make others happy, isn't it?

What America wants is what America gets. Or rather the US weapons manufacturers.

64% disapprove of tax hikes to cover Japan's rising defense budget - poll:

Kyodo News poll reveals 64.9% rejecting the planned tax hikes for additional defense budget.

PM Kishida must take this public opinion seriously, lest there will be unwelcome backlash later.

Therefore..

Headline: 64% disapprove of tax hikes to cover Japan's rising defense budget

Headline: 64% vote for the same party every election

REDWhiteBlue

98% of Japanese wanted the border to remain closed and oppose immigration.

Really? How do you know? What's your source? Or did you just make the number up?

So, can we all finally agree that Japan is not a democracy?

Disapproval benefits China.

So, can we all finally agree that Japan is not a democracy?

I agree 100%

Japan is NOT a democracy

As someone who votes (never for the LDP), in principle I see no problem with spending 43 trillion yen on upgrading the military. Better to have and not need than need and not have. I'm sure those Space Operations Squadron antigravity craft don't come cheap. 

The problem is that the Japanese government put themselves in a position where they are squeezing blood out of a stone after spending 293 trillion yen on coronavirus measures. 293兆円　= $2.1 Trillion USD. That's more than 100 Olympics or 200000 Abe funerals.

So after dumping hundreds of billions of dollars of US treasuries, selling bonds where the only interested party is the BOJ, and printing money which in effect devalues the yen and raises the cost of everything, there are few options left but to either reallocate funds or raise taxes for any other expenditures. 

Their brilliant plan added up to 2.3 million yen for every man, woman and child in the nation, of which I only accepted 100000 yen one time, so where did all the money go?

As the government will divert a portion of tax revenues designated for reconstruction following a massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern areas

You have to wonder seriously if there isn’t a self destructive streak that lies at the heart of the LDP. There is ZERO chance that redirecting funds away from reconstruction will sit well with an already disapproving public. Do they do this deliberately?

That said, you have a public that quite strongly agrees with beefing up the military, and is aware of the threats of the day, until of course they realize someone ( us ) will have to pay for it.

@Toshihiro If the government didn't do anything to protect the people then there would be a big outcry as to what have the government been doing. The government is not going to tell the people everything they are doing for very good reasons. The government is doing this because they have some INTELLIGENCE of what is about to become and they are preparing for it. It is not about a arms race its about being prepared. Many times people complain the US not protecting Japan. Perhaps Japan know this and want to be able to defend for themselves. People keep saying Japan will just end up poorer, it damn if you do or damn if you don't if you can't defend yourself you are going to be in the same position poor!!! I rather have a stockpile full of toys waiting to use them instead of having the arms makers laughing saying I told you so. I totally disagree with you you said "The thing here is this, the more toys you have, the more you want to play with them to get your money's worth" I ask you this the more money you have do you spend it all in one day? No you save it or invest it wisely for you won pursuit of happiness safety and security. LMFAO you wrote "Don't chase the rabbit". Well the Rabbit won't have to run your logic suggest staying in a hole and not coming out because of fear!!!

@ indigo & Mr. Kipling nothing is free!! Everything is negotiated. Again Japan is the one seeking the negotiations for theses weapons not the pentagon. Japan speaks for Japan nothing is given to the US.

Mr KiplingToday  07:54 am JST

The opinions of the Japanese tax payer are irrelevant. The Lords in the Pentagon have spoken and must be obeyed.

I agree!

Japan, will print more fake money to give it to US

@CEOB55 EXACTLY!

Choices pretty clear:

Cut other spending and allocate to increased defense spending

Raise taxes

Learn Mandarin

@Ego Sum Lux Mundi What about Mitsubishi? If you know ANYTHING ABOUT Raytheon and Boeing and you are in Japan it goes on to tell me and other that you are totally sleeping. Japan has its own Military complex that most of you don't know about because you are glued to a monitored being misinformed Mitsubishi thinking Mitsubishi only makes cars!!!

When you're paying 12% shohizei this time next year and getting angry, calm down and remember that you have made the shareholders of Raytheon and Boeing very happy. It's nice to make others happy, isn't it?