The Japan Innovation Party (JIP) is expected to support the ruling coalition in the House of Representatives in a second vote on Japan’s fiscal 2025 budget, despite strong criticism of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s controversial actions.
The budget bill is currently under consideration in the House of Councillors, where it is expected to undergo further revisions and pass shortly. Once approved, it will return to the House of Representatives, where the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner Komeito lack an outright majority. The JIP’s support could prove critical to the bill’s passage.
Recently, the JIP intensified its criticism of Prime Minister Ishiba, who serves as the president of the LDP, after he handed out gift certificates worth ¥100,000 each to 15 LDP lawmakers. Despite this controversy, the JIP concluded it must cooperate with the ruling parties to achieve its own policy goals, notably implementing free high school tuition nationwide.
The ruling parties have agreed to withdraw planned reforms of the “high-cost medical expense benefit system,” aimed at reducing the financial burden on patients facing substantial medical bills—a reform that the JIP strongly opposed. Following negotiations, the JIP reached an agreement with the LDP and Komeito, securing commitments that include the introduction of free high school tuition. The JIP previously supported the initial passage of the budget through the lower house.
JIP co-leader and Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura criticized the Prime Minister’s actions but maintained the party’s position on the budget. “The problem here is the Prime Minister’s actions,” Yoshimura told reporters on Monday. “[The party’s] stance on the budget remains unchanged.”
Meanwhile, Ishiba issued another public apology at an Upper House Budget Committee meeting on Monday. “I was not in line with public sentiment. I apologize for that,” Ishiba stated. “Legally, there is no problem, but I don’t believe I have fully gained the public’s understanding. I am committed to providing a sincere and thorough explanation,” he later said at the LDP’s board meeting.
