Kishida rallies party members for victory in April local elections

In most countries in Asia, the standard of living has continued to improve for the people in the last 3 decades. What has the LDP done to help the usual people of Japan during this time frame?

Vast money that Unification Church has exploited from Japanese believers are used for development of North Korean missiles, and LDP thrust expansion of military budget with taking advantage of military threat such as North Korean missile.

This is exactly why Japanese nationalists are hypocrites. They talk of a big game but can't do anything at all except for kowtowing at their foreign overlords who these Japanese elites loath so much in secret.

fistfull of cheapvotes- Banzai!

Looks more like a wannabe aerobics class than politicians …

you get who you vote for but sadly I don’t think many of the Japanese people realise that yet…

Speaking about changes while Taro Aso is in the front row. It is not compatible...

My God what a horrific photo!

Japan is truly doomed.

Japan's self-named "Liberal Democratic Party " who hate liberal and who disrespect democratic process still continue relation with Unification Church.

Vast money that Unification Church has exploited from Japanese believers are used for development of North Korean missiles, and LDP thrust expansion of military budget with taking advantage of military threat such as North Korean missile.

Look at Motegi! Look at Aso! And Kishida!!

Argghhhhh :D

I really hate these LDP cronies

Taro Aso. The face of a new generation of leadership.

"Building on the achievements of the 10 years of progress made under former Prime Ministers Shinzo Abe and Yoshihide Suga, it is now time to take a new step toward another 10 years."

Meaningless drivel.

Can anyone explain the punching in the air that is so common among Japanese politicians? Is it like a salute?

Because outstretched fingers and no bending at the elbow is verboten.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is also president of the Liberal Democratic Party believes they can afford to be complacent.

As a ruling Government the odds against the party not retained there hold of government local or otherwise is zero.

The reality for the local electorate is another matter, temp workers when they venture to the supermarket for there local shop means facing the harsh reality of inflation.

At this moment in time opposition parties seem unable to present change.

However the failure to counter an economic policy, that continues time and again to confront the harsh reality facing every facet, the people of Japan face will have consequences.

raises his fist with Taro Aso

Ok, so they decided to make a public photo showing their fists. To show that they are able to rule this country. And they didn't even bother to spend 5min learning how to do a proper fist. Then, how is this bunch supposed to be able to rule a country? (I don't like Taro Aso, but that is the only guy that comes close to a proper fist.)

As no japanese politician is anything to get excited about, Kishida is one of the worst and lame characters. Lord help japan and the world.

EastmanToday  10:47 am JST

what does "progress" in LDP language exactly means?

Keeping things exactly the way they are while conning stupid people into thinking they have solutions for Japan's problems, winning more votes and pocketing more cash.

what does "progress" in LDP language exactly means?

Hats off to @藤原, very well said!

who is gonna challenge them? The Insta-food-picture-addicted youth?

Perhaps, you just gave a possible media outlet that reaches a young audience that can be a powerful tool if utilized well and doesn't have Dentsu's control unlike televised ads. No point in screaming in megaphones while driving around.

Dynasty- Well said

Fight-o! Bonus points for Aso being in the photo.

Seriously? Or are they taking the piss?? What progress?? If the current state of affairs is progress, then give me regression any day.

They have been great at selling Japan to foreign overlords like the Chinese communists, Korean fascists in the Unification Church, American capitalists,....

The LDP implements austerity, neoliberalism, weak Yen has been a boon for foreign investors who do not think twice about exploiting Japanese cheap, subservient labor.

"Building on the achievements of the 10 years of progress made under former Prime Ministers Shinzo Abe and Yoshihide Suga.

He didn't elaborate on those achievements and progress...

Just as well.

Kishida seems like a nice fellow.

Looks can be deceiving

Awful awful people.

Childish gestures

Grow up and learn how to look after your people properly.

Those young people on the stage should be ashamed of themselves, also

Japanese people love their LDP. Some people would say it is hypocritical for them not to wear face covers, in actual fact, they wouldn't be the LDP without hypocrisy, would they.

Well put 藤原just who is gonna challenge them? The Insta-food-picture-addicted youth? The mündige Bürger watching the one and only state channel 24/7? I hope for change but don’t quite see how it could happen, sadly.

I feel queasy when I see LDP candidates out canvassing.

Pitiful

In the hurly burly of Democratic Politics, there is one given - scandals will bring a government down and dozens of scandals will absolutely bring a government down.

Forward to Japan and the same cannot be said.

Scandal after scandal sees the LDP emboldened and continues to bludgeon it's way to an orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us (apologies to Fitzgerald).

No other democratic nation has seen the level of scandalous behaviour - including Kishidas Govt - of Japan and been returned to power in election after election.

The good citizens of Japan really need to lift the veil and see the reality of Japan's dire situation - predominantly as a result of LDP old boys ineptitude and collusion.

The first strike for change would be a successful challenge to the upcoming elections.

Change is about to come!

The best thing the 親父自民党 can offer is rallies. This is what the face of stagnation looks like. Increasing military spending while wages are stagnate while making non heeded urges to corporates leaders is not progress. Increasing taxes on an already high burdened population with high food prices and absurdly low wages if you work as an employee (one of the reasons why choose a freelance path). Plan to release toxic radio active water from Fukushima into to the Pacific ocean is progress, if you have so much faith in your plan and your progress release this toxic water in Tokyo bay instead of Fukushima.

Japan can use the usual excuse of its our culture to do nothing and let things go which is convenient because I have used it too before because my home country Germany and I have took the culture excuse route many times and living in Japan has taught me one thing that it is wrong to do so.

Looking into history especially before 1950s there was a different Japan and this do noting culture did not exist. Nagoya Rice Riots and protests of 1918, THIS WAS OVER AN INCREASE IN PRICE OF RICE. Not only did these protest happen in Nagoya but Osaka, Hiroshima, etc. Even between 1946 and 1950s there were attempts to unionize and create oppositions but sadly Look up 浅沼 稲次郎 which was a very sad part of Japanese history this televised assassination should have never happened because (even though I do agree with Asanuma's political views) it quelled a great opposition to Japanese progress and one of the reason why the LDP has had almost a political majority for most of the latter part of the 20th century and beginning of the 21st century.

Japan is at a cross roads it can continue its excuse because its our culture and continue to stagnate and finally realize that Heiwa was taken away from them by the ones they put in power, or they could wake up and rise to the occasion and create boundaries that should not be crossed by political leaders and rekindle the spirit of their ancestors and create an opposition that will make this country more fruitful, family oriented, and preserve this nation for generations to come. Change or stay in the comfortable place that is becoming more and more a comfort pit that they might not be able to get out of in the near future.

Buckle your seat belts or Leave Town until after April 9th. Loudspeakers and noisy candidates will be on every street corner waving and shouting at you in the run up to April 9th election, my advise is TAKE A VACATION and leave town.

10 years of progress made under former Prime Ministers Shinzo Abe and Yoshihide Suga, it is now time to take a new step toward another 10 years.

This must be some new and unusual definition of the word "progress" that I'm unfamiliar with. Where's the dictionary?

WHAT!? NO MASKS?

People are being told to wear the damn masks till April!! while law makers are NOT?

Now this is NOT fair.

Kishida seems like a nice fellow.

they are only representing themself

(edited)

excuse me, there’s no alternatives because people (the ones that vote(!) ) think that there’s no alternatives, so they’re just gonna keep empowering the ldp.

Let's do the time warp again.

It's kind of fitting, given the LDP's insistence on ultra-conservatism and policies stuck in the past.

Let's time-travel to any year in the last 40 years, and everything will look the same.

It seems that we’re gonna have to deal with this party until the end of our existence so I’m just gonna say this (to the older generations): women and younger generations are (still) being overlooked, excluded and alienated…; their inclusion would pave the way for their success and that would be extremely positive for Japan…; it would be the start of something new.

[ At the meeting that was held to adopt the party's manifesto for this year, Kishida, who doubles as LDP president, said, "Building on the achievements of the 10 years of progress made under former Prime Ministers Shinzo Abe and Yoshihide Suga, it is now time to take a new step toward another 10 years." ] They can say this with a straight face because there’s no alternative.

"Building on the achievements of the 10 years of progress made under former Prime Ministers Shinzo Abe and Yoshihide Suga, it is now time to take a new step toward another 10 years."

...but the economy has been stagnant for the past 20 years.

There is a disconnect here.

"Building on the achievements of the 10 years of progress made under former Prime Ministers Shinzo Abe and Yoshihide Suga, it is now time to take a new step toward another 10 years."

Seriously? Or are they taking the piss?? What progress?? If the current state of affairs is progress, then give me regression any day.

What progress has been made? Higher taxes, increased costs across the board, stagnant wages, lowered cost of living, increases in crime and violent crime, lowered educational standards, increased security risks, higher taxes to pay for a military buildup, or what?

If this is what "progress" looks like, I am dreading to see what happens when the other shoe falls.

Japan needs a change, pathetic LDP and Kishida are ruining Japan !!..

More like building on the failures of the last 10 years. With the LDP in charge, nothing is going to change. Just throw good money after bad and line your cronies pockets. All the while the people suffer, Japan slides down the ranks of economies that have any growth and will slowly become irrelevant.

"Building on the achievements of the 10 years of progress made under former Prime Ministers Shinzo Abe and Yoshihide Suga, it is now time to take a new step toward another 10 years."

"Achievements of the 10 years of progress " in this case has the special meaning of exclusively to the LDP coffers and those of its cronies.