Japanese protesters criticize lower house dissolution as illogical, irresponsible

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Japanese protesters criticize lower house dissolution as illogical, irresponsible

2026-01-23 22:11 Last Updated At：01-25 12:51

Japanese activists and residents on Friday criticized Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's decision to dissolve the lower house as "illogical" and "irresponsible," saying it ignored the current state of the domestic economy and people's livelihoods.

Japan's House of Representatives was formally dissolved on Friday at the outset of the ordinary parliamentary session, with a general election set for Feb. 8.

Takaichi announced on Monday that she would dissolve the 465-seat lower house for a snap election, aiming to capitalize on her cabinet's current high approval ratings.

At the rally site, Hiroshi Kawauchi, a member of the Centrist Reform Alliance who had just left the House of Representatives dissolution meeting, expressed his regret over the decision.

"This is a move that completely disregards the lives of the people, as it involves simply shelving the budget, which is illogical. Moreover, this is happening at such a time. Previously, the Kaohsiung mayor had asked, 'What do you think of me?' and 'What do you think of the cabinet?' Since she raised these questions, we have clearly stated that we do not trust Takaichi's cabinet, we want to overthrow it, and we want to support the lives of the people," he said.

Protesters and residents also said that the decision has added more uncertainty to Japan's political and economic instability.

As is customary, the new fiscal year budget is to be reviewed and passed before the end of March. However, Takaichi's dissolution of the House of Representatives has forced a delay in the legislative review schedule, which will have a significant impact on the review and passage of the budget bill and a series of tax reform bills.

If the new fiscal year budget cannot be approved by the new Diet in time, the lives of Japanese people and the economy will inevitably be affected in fiscal year 2026, which begins on April 1.

"Given the overall scale, finalizing a budget naturally takes time. Depending on the circumstances, a new budget may need to be prepared. In that case, it's uncertain whether the budget will be approved before the long weekend, which seems highly irresponsible," said a protester.

Since 2000, Japan has implemented the Happy Monday System, which moved a number of national holidays to Monday in order to obtain a long weekend.

"The reason given by Takaichi for dissolving the House of Representatives is, frankly, 'I hope everyone will trust me.' This is entirely based on her personal opinion, and I believe that such a thing should absolutely not be done," said a Tokyo resident.

Escalating Middle East tensions drive up energy prices, squeezing US consumers

Soaring oil prices triggered by escalating tensions in the Middle East have heightened U.S. inflation pressures, with analysts warning that households face hundreds of dollars in extra costs if crude climbs further.

Data released on Tuesday by the American Automobile Association (AAA) showed that the national average price of regular gasoline in the United States has risen 18.64 percent compared with Feb. 26. The AAA data also indicated that the national average price of diesel on Tuesday was up 22.85 percent from a week earlier.

Mark Zandi, chief economist at global ratings agency Moody's, warned that U.S. consumers are being threatened by a sharp rise in fuel prices. He said that if international oil prices climb by another 10 U.S. dollars per barrel, annual spending for an average U.S. household would increase by about 450 dollars.

Zandi noted that a surge in oil prices would intensify inflationary pressure in the United States, eroding consumers' purchasing power and weighing on consumption, economic growth, and employment.

Tensions sharply escalated across the Middle East on Feb 28 when the United States and Israel launched large-scale joint airstrikes on Iran. The Iranian side has responded with multiple waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. assets across the region, hitting many countries in the Gulf.