May 12, 2022

The youth advocacy group Japan Youth Conference, working to present political parties with policy proposals, exchanged views with Japanese Communist Party members of the House of Councilors Yamazoe Taku and Iwabuchi Tomo on May 10 in the Diet building in regard to policies that should be taken up in the Upper House election slated for the coming summer.

Representative director of the youth organization Murohashi Yuki, 33, explained their policy proposals under themes of labor/social security, gender equality, education, and political participation of young people. He called on the JCP to work to realize a rent subsidy for the young generation, rectify unpaid overtime work/excessive long working hours, and strengthen measures to deal with molesters.

Yamazoe said, "Political parties have a major role in working to establish a hopeful future for young people," sharing what the youth organization is calling for. He stressed the need to change the status quo where many young people suffer from high tuition fees or from repayment of student loans and where many young workers in precarious employment positions are used as adjustment valves.

A 21-year-old private college student on a student loan said, "Education inequality is not a matter of individual responsibility. It should be regarded as a society-wide problem."

A 24-year-old man who is studying abroad pointed out that young people in Japan tend to be indifferent to human rights and climate issues, adding, "Even if they are interested in politics and hope to do something in that field, many of them do not have enough time and money to do so." He said he feels that young people in Japan are deliberately kept away from political issues.

Iwabuchi in response said, "Some young people are forced to work under harsh working conditions and some become unable to continue working due to physical or mental disorders caused by overwork or by excessive work stress. Self-responsibility is imposed on individual young people on every occasion - from going to school to becoming a member of society." She said she will work harder to address social challenges and eliminate the root cause of young people's hardships.