A former Japanese government official has sharply criticized the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for shifting national priorities away from people's livelihood toward military expansion.
The criticism by Shigeaki Koga, a former official from Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, comes as the Japanese government has submitted its draft budget for fiscal 2026 to the Diet, which sees defense spending reaching a record high.
"Expanding the defense budget is a key policy of the Takaichi administration. In discussions regarding a consumption tax cut, Takaichi has repeatedly claimed there are no financial resources. Yet, when it comes to defense spending, it has already been decided to raise income tax by one percent starting in January 2027. Apart from that, the sources of funding remain unclear, but the plan is still being pushed forward. This makes it clear that defense spending, essentially military expansion, is the top priority pursued regardless of whether financial resources are secured. The Takaichi administration has shifted its priority from people's livelihood to military expansion," said Koga.
Koga also voiced deep concern over Takaichi's act of distributing congratulatory gifts to ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers who won seats in the recent House of Representatives election.
He described the move as reflecting deeper flaws in Japan's political system.
"This is an extremely serious issue. How much was the total amount, and where did the funding exactly come from? These are the questions the opposition parties should pursue. However, at present, any criticism of Takaichi is met with accusations of 'simply just criticizing.' By using criticism to suppress public opinions, it has become very difficult to hold her accountable over these scandals. This is deeply worrying. I believe that she should step down as soon as possible," he said.
Former Japanese gov't official slams PM's shift from prioritizing people's livelihood to military expansion
