Manifesto 2010

We believe political action firmly anchored to the needs of the people is imperative. Thus, as New Komeito has done so in the past, we will continue to seek the advancement of peace, social services, education, human rights and environmental protection under our agenda of priority policy objectives.

Our Four Major Policy Initiatives

1. Welfare in the Next Generation (WING)

In order to ensure and enhance the quality of life of Japanese citizens, New Komeito proposes a new social service system that not only provides pension, healthcare, nursing care and employment security, but also a framework in which those afflicted with depression and other psychological disorders can resume near-normal lives. We call this initiative Welfare In the Next Generation, or WING 21, a bold new solution to social services in the 21st century that meets the rapidly diversifying lifestyle needs of the Japanese in this age.

WING Plan 1: New Security for Quality of Life
  • Set up a system to augment payout dispensed under the basic pension program; raise payout of the basic disability pension program; and shorter the time period for pensioners to receive benefits
  • Revamp the system capping medical expenses; train additional medical professionals in the fields of pediatrics and obstetrics; and upgrade programs for emergency medical services and the treatment of cancer
  • Upgrade nursing care services on a comprehensive basis
  • Provide 1 million housing units to low-income citizens
  • Adopt a tax rebate and exemption system to support families with dependents
WING Plan 2: New Employment Security
  • Permanently institute systems that provide vocational training and cost of living support, and expand their coverage
  • Proactively support small- and medium-sized enterprises hiring workers on a permanent basis; also expand employment opportunities for the disabled
  • Upgrade programs to place jobless graduates, career education for school children
  • Set up a new employment support program that links welfare services to placement services
WING Plan 3: New, More Humane Social Services

Push forward initiatives for the early diagnosis and treatment of depression and other psychological disorders

  • Reinforce programs to combat domestic violence, including private-sector shelters for victims
  • Reinforce programs to prevent child abuse
  • Adopt community-based support programs, including volunteer shopping services, for the elderly
  • Examine a benefit system and other alternatives for providers of volunteer services in such fields as child care and nursing care

2. Economic Initiatives and Growth Strategy: 3-4% Nominal Growth, 2%-Level Real Growth

Invest in 21st-century type public works that include earthquake-proofing school buildings and installing solar panels

  • Target emerging economies and newly industrialized nations for domestic economic growth
  • Stimulate private investment and competitiveness by reducing corporate income taxes
  • Reverse the deflationary spiral; keep cost of living increases to 1-2% per annum
  • Ease borrowing terms for emergency bridge loans and other initiatives to support small businesses
  • Stimulate domestic economic demand through by upgrading overall quality of social services
  • Stimulate economic growth through prioritized public spending that targets the environment, energy, agriculture, healthcare, nursing care, education and other fields

3. Abolish Political Corruption, Reforms for the Diet

Institute a comprehensive ban on all political contributions from companies and organizations

  • Introduce harsher sanctions in the Political Contributions Control Act, including a temporary suspension of a legislator's right to run for public office if his or her aide is sentenced for political financing illegalities
  • Enact Diet reforms that include reducing the number of parliamentary seats and unnecessary expenditures

4. Government for the People: Ban Amakudari, Slash Wasteful Tax Outlays and Decentralization

Prohibit the buyout of civil servants who seek early retirement and bar public agencies from hoisting them on the companies once under their regulatory supervision, thus halting the practice of amakudari

  • Enact legislature proscribing accounting improprieties of public agencies to extirpate wasteful spending of tax money
  • Push forward government reforms, which will include revamping special accounts system and abolishing in principle independent administrative agencies
  • Formulate legislation for the adoption of an administrative framework based on a regionally-based partnership of prefectures to facilitate local autonomy, while reducing the number of local offices of the central government and other field agencies, or abolishing them altogether

Priority Policy Objectives

1.Education

Reduce the cost burden to families by providing a free education to dependents for a three-year period prior to their enrollment in elementary school

  • To address the issue of jobless youth, adopt as core curricula vocational education programs in schools
  • To address the issue of unemployed graduates, students who have graduated from school within the past three years will be designated "newly graduated" job seekers
  • Upgrade the nation's foreign exchange programs, with the goal of enabling one million Japanese students to study abroad in order to develop their potential and skill sets
  • Expand and enhance programs for children to experience and learn from nature
  • Promote culture, the arts and sports through a framework of laws and support initiatives

2. Rejuvenating Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Industries

Revitalize Japan's agricultural sector by allocating a special budgetary quota to ensure food and food product security

  • As one step toward achieving the sustainable use of maritime and fisheries resources, adopt comprehensive measures to maximize such resources
  • Facilitate use of biomass energy in rural communities as one step in achieving a truly sustainable forestry industry

3. Transforming Japan into an Environmental Powerhouse

  • Achieve a 30% increase in energy conservation by 2020 (versus 2005) and regain the position as the leading energy conservation nation in the world
  • Create cities whose power consumption needs are met by environmentally friendly, naturally renewable sources of energy
  • Launch a government program to convert one million automobiles into electrically powered vehicles
  • Enact legislation ensuring the protection of children from toxic chemicals and other environmental pollutants
  • Promote biodiversity initiatives at the local community level with the aim of enhancing Japan's natural surroundings on a national basis
  • Adopt initiatives preventing cruelty to dogs, cats and other pets, thereby creating a society in which animals and human beings can coexist in harmony

4. Engaged Diplomacy for Global Peace (Foreign Policy and National Security)

Encourage further compliance of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; propose initiatives banning nuclear arms to rid the world of these weapons

  • Upgrade human security initiatives funded under the ODA program, while extending greater government support for NGOs
  • Uphold the Japan-US Security Treaty and further develop bilateral ties in order to enhance peace and security for Japan
  • Rationalize and reduce U.S. military bases in Japan on a gradual basis in order to reduce the burden placed on local communities, while maintaining the deterrence capabilities of U.S. forces undergoing realignment
  • Enhance international recognition of Japan's global contributions through active participation in UN peacekeeping operations

Looming Political Issues

Engage in initiatives, from a law mandating restoring public finances to health to reforms to the system of public accounting, to redress the growing national debt

  • We urge that the dangers posed to the civilian population by the U.S. Marine airbase in Futenma be removed and begin a phased rationalization and reduction in U.S. forces in Okinawa to alleviate the burden imposed on local citizens
  • Continue the postal service as a privatized entity, opposing any bill, which includes raising the ceilings on savings accounts offered by the Japan Post Bank and Japan Post Insurance Co., that would reverse reforms instituted in 2007
  • Maintain the basic position that normalization of diplomatic relations with North Korea is contingent upon resolving the abduction issue, as well as the nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development programs
  • Expand and enhance programs for children to experience and learn from nature
  • Maintain the Japanese Constitution as it stands, but add clauses that would, among others, ensure the people's right to a safe environment and right to privacy

Government Finances and Tax System Reform (Revenues for Social Services)

  1. In order to secure stable sources of government revenues, engage in fundamental reforms to the tax system, including the consumption tax
  2. Limit the use of revenues generated from the consumption tax to fund social services and adopt initiatives, including a multiple tax rate, to aid low-income citizens
  3. Rectify income disparities and strengthen the capacity to redistribute income by establishing a tax rebate and exemption system
  • Undertake the "greening" of the entire tax system in order to facilitate the transition to a low-carbon society
  • Lower the corporate income tax to enhance the international competitiveness of companies and other enterprises
  • Upgrade tax revenue resources for local communities in order to develop the autonomy of local governments
  • Support NGOs and other non-profit groups that help local communities provide social services and community-building activities
  • *Summarized English version