March 14, 2019

A day of action opposing heavy tax burdens took place on March 13 at 500 locations throughout Japan with about 100,000 people participating. They held rallies and marched in demonstrations toward local tax offices to file together their income tax returns, calling for the cancellation of the plan to increase the consumption tax rate and the realization of a progressive tax system.

In Tokyo, in the House of Councilors office building, representatives from 18 organizations, including the Japan Family Farmers Movement (Nouminren) and the National Federation of Consumers' Cooperatives Workers' Unions (Seikyo-roren), were present at the Day of Action's central rally.

The president of the All-Japan Commerce and Industry Organization Association (Zenshoren), Ota Yoshio, talked about the history of the people's movement against excessive taxes. He said, "The present struggle against oppressive taxation is a struggle for fundamental human rights which our predecessors won based on constitutionalism. Let us become aware that we taxpayers are the sovereign members of the nation! Let us work together to achieve a democratic tax system!"

The rally participants talked about a protest campaign in France forcing the French government to abandon the planned fuel tax increase and also about Malaysia where the goods-and-services tax was abolished following a general election. With nationwide local elections and a national election coming this year in Japan, they once again confirmed their resolve to bring down the Abe government and win a fair tax system.

Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Miyamoto Toru reported that the introduction of a new invoice system will force more than 1.6 million business owners to shoulder another 154,000 yen each in the consumption tax in one year, according to the Finance Ministry's estimate. He pointed out the need to change the current taxation system under which small business owners cannot readily pass on the increase in costs of the prices of goods as this will bring about a recession in the end.

In a rally in Tokyo's Toshima Ward, Miyata Kenji who had run a delicatessen shop for more than 40 years said, "The consumption tax was raised to 8% some years ago, but I couldn't add the increased costs to the prices of goods. So, I had to close the business. Most small shop owners are paying for the increased costs out of their own pockets."

Past related article:
> Taxpayers opposing further consumption tax hike hold nationwide day of action [March 12, 2016]