October 16, 2021

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira on October 15 at a press conference in the Diet building demanded that the Komei Party head retract his remark regarding the JCP position on the Emperor system.

Several media outlets reported on Komei Party head Yamaguchi Natsuo’s remark.

According to the news reports, at a street speech rally held on October 14 after the dissolution of the House of Representatives, Yamaguchi said that the JCP is a political party claiming that the Emperor system is unconstitutional and thus should be abolished.

Given that the dissolution of the Lower House, in effect, led to the start of campaigning by political parties ahead of a general election to be held on October 31, Yamaguchi made this remark supposedly for the purpose of creating a negative image of the JCP.

Koike at the press conference pointed out, “The JCP Program states that ‘[t]he Emperor system is a system provided for by the Constitution’ and that all constitutional provisions, including the Emperor clause, will be upheld.” In addition, Koike stressed that the JCP repeatedly explained this position at various occasions such as at press conferences.

Koike criticized Yamaguchi for lying to the public about the JCP position regarding the Emperor system, and demanded the retraction of his remark.