Opposition Parties Score Win with Minister's Sacking, but Hurdles Remain to Bringing Down Cabinet
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Yoshihiko Noda, right, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, speaks during Diet debates between party leaders as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, left, listens.
With opposition parties holding a majority in the lower house, they managed to band together on Wednesday and push the ruling bloc into a corner, forcing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to sack the agriculture minister.
After Taku Eto was dismissed as agriculture, forestry and fisheries minister, Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, called the move 'inevitable.'
'[Eto] was not the right person for minister,' Noda told reporters. 'I believe [his dismissal] was the result of opposition parties sharing the same position on the issue.'
Noda, who has failed to gain traction during the current Diet session, appeared to be trying to highlight his success with Eto's dismissal.
Even so, due to their conflicting positions, the CDPJ and the other opposition parties face significant hurdles to passing a no-confidence motion against Ishiba's Cabinet, which will be a major issue toward the end of the Diet session next month.
The Democratic Party for the People has argued that the CDPJ should make the first move since it is the largest opposition party.
'[The CDPJ] has called for a change of government,' said DPFP Secretary General Kazuya Shinba. 'So it would be a shame if [the CDPJ] didn't submit a no-confidence motion.'
The CDPJ chafed at Shinba's comments, with one member saying, 'He only said that because [the DPFP] won't assume responsibility for the decision to submit [a motion].'
The CDPJ has been assessing what would happen after a non-confidence motion succeeded, which has left it on the fence about submitting a motion. If the motion were to pass, the Cabinet would have to dissolve the House of Representatives or resign en masse.
Since the CDPJ does not appear to enjoy robust public support, many of its members in the lower house do not want the chamber to be dissolved.
Some members are even hoping that Ishiba's Cabinet will not resign, given the House of Councillors election that will be held this summer.
'Because Ishiba's approval ratings are so low, it'd be to our advantage to face off against him as the prime minister in the upper house election,' said a senior member of the CDPJ.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
10 hours ago
Ishiba Vows to Set Up Council for Regional Revitalization
Maebashi, Gunma Pref., June 7 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Saturday that he plans to establish a council tasked with helping promote regional revitalization led by the private sector. He hopes to include the plan, unveiled in talks with reporters during his visit to Maebashi, the capital of Gunma Prefecture, north of Tokyo, in a basic concept of his signature "Regional Revitalization 2.0" program. The envisaged council will be directly supervised by Ishiba, according to the prime minister. The basic concept is expected to be compiled this summer. "We'll consider the possibility of revising related laws while learning from the efforts being made in Maebashi" in order to help accelerate community building through public-private cooperation, Ishiba said. In Maebashi, Ishiba visited Jins Park, a regional interaction hub, which also includes an eyeglasses store. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
12 hours ago
Ishiba Inspects Regional Revitalization Efforts in Maebashi
News from Japan Politics Jun 7, 2025 17:33 (JST) Maebashi, Gunma Pref., June 7 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba visited Maebashi, the capital of Gunma Prefecture, north of Tokyo, on Saturday to examine the regional revitalization efforts led by the private sector. The visit is aimed at demonstrating the Ishiba government's policy of promoting public-private cooperation in the implementation of measures related to his signature "Regional Revitalization 2.0" program. Ishiba visited Jins Park, a regional interaction hub, which also includes an eyeglasses store. At the complex, set up by Japanese eyeglasses store chain Jins Holdings Inc., the prime minister tried on Jins brand glasses and tasted pastries sold at the facility. He smiled and said, "This is a very nice facility." Jins Holdings has built a new office in Maebashi, using the government's tax incentive program designed to facilitate business relocations to rural areas as part of regional revitalization. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Yomiuri Shimbun
16 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan to Carry over Imperial Family Talks to Next Diet Session
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo The Diet Building in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo TOKYO (Jiji Press) — The Diet leaders on Friday confirmed that discussions on proposed Imperial family will be carried over to the expected next extraordinary session of the Diet that may be held in autumn. House of Representatives Speaker Fukushiro Nukaga and House of Councillors President Masakazu Sekiguchi agreed to give up trying to form a consensus on plans to secure an adequate number of Imperial family members during the current ordinary session slated to end on June 22. The agreement was made because ruling and opposition parties remain apart on the issue. The ruling and opposition camps started their discussions in May last year, focusing on the ideas of allowing female Imperial family members to remain in the family even after marriage and adopting male members in the paternal line of former Imperial family branches who were removed from the family in 1947.
