Japan Press Weekly

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2012 January 25 - 31 [POLITICS]

Your Party vows to act with Osaka Ishin-no-Kai

The Your Party in its second convention on January 28 announced a political accord with the Osaka Ishin-no-Kai led by Osaka City Mayor Hashimoto Toru, and declared its intention to work together with the controversial local party.

The Your Party describes itself as a third pole for promoting “reform,” but it actually is pursuing the same old politics.

The convention began with all the participants singing in unison the song “Kimigayo (May the Emperor reign forever), which was extraordinary for a political party convention. Your Party representative Watanabe Yoshimi in his speech said that it is reasonable for the Your Party to work together with the Ishin-no-Kai because the two parties share the same political goals.

As was made clear by the singing in unison of Kimigayo at the convention, the Your Party has a rightist inclination and a structural reform policy similar to that of the Ishin-no-Kai.

The Your Party pursues putting priority on economic growth, a move away from bureaucrats playing a leading role in politics, and a “Do-shu” system allegedly to promote regional sovereignty. In essence, the party calls for the continuation of the structural reform policy which has caused increased poverty and widening income gaps.

Similar to the Ishin-no-Kai, the Your Party pretends to be reform-minded by giving the impression that public servants are the “enemy” of the people and demanding that the number of government employees be decreased by 100,000.

The Your Party was the quickest to call for Japan’s participation in talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement on abolishing tariffs completely. As the party advocating a totally free market economy and free trade policies, participants boasted of this party stance during the convention.

In the House of Councilors election in July 2010, Koike Akira of the Japanese Communist Party fought for the 5th seat in Tokyo but lost to the Your Party candidate.