Tentative Translation as of June 20 2016

The Democratic Party’s Priority Policies:
Our Promise to the People

Economic Revitalization
Begins with Individual People1Tentative Translation as of June 20 2016

Japan Stands at a Turning Point
Peace and People’s Lives are Under Threat

Summer of 2016…
Entrust us with your power.
Japan Stands at a Turning Point
Today, 70 years after the end of the war, we have reached a turning point ofhistoric significance.
Japan is faced with a drastic population decline, immense fiscal deficits, andunrelenting economic stagnation. With these fundamental problems left
unresolved, many of our children and young people are unable to realize
their full potential and have lost hope for their future.
The fundamental values and rights of “constitutionalism,” “pacifism,” and“democracy”, so carefully nurtured by the Japanese people throughout the
postwar period, are now under threat.
Faced with this grave situation and armed with a strong sense of crisis andmission, we decided to form the Democratic Party as a new party capable ofreplacing the Liberal Democratic Party as the party of government.
The fundamental philosophy underlying the founding of the Democratic
Party is expressed in the principles of “freedom,” “mutual coexistence,” and“responsibility for the future.”
Protecting Peace and People’s LivesThe Democratic Party’s campaign in the House of Councillors election will
be based on two appeals.
Our first appeal addresses the economy and people’s lives.
Three and a half years have passed since the start of so-called “Abenomics”.
Yet, 80 percent of the public say that they have no real sense that theeconomy is improving. Wages and spending remain stagnant, to the degree
that the scheduled consumption tax hike had to be postponed. Now is thetime for us to switch to economic policies that will promote both growth anddistribution of wealth.
By investing in people, pursuing fair distribution of wealth, and correcting
inequalities, the Democratic Party will create an environment that allows
2

Tentative Translation as of June 20 2016individuals to reach their full potential and realize an economy thatenriches people’s lives.
Our second appeal focuses on the Constitution and peace.
By revising the interpretation of the Constitution of Japan, the Abe
Administration has made it possible for Japan to exercise the right ofcollective self-defense under ambiguous terms. The Abe Administration’s
next target is to gain a two-thirds majority in the House of Councillors inorder to amend Article 9 of the Constitution and make way for theunrestricted exercise of collective self-defense. The commitment made tonever become involved in overseas conflicts with the use of force is theConstitution’s core pacifist principle and a value that shapes our nation.
Under no circumstances can we allow it to be subverted and destroyed.
The Democratic Party Will Fight with All Its Might
Twenty-five years as a politician have convinced me that ordinary Japanesepeople living ordinary lives in their local communities are actually quite
extraordinary.
During these years, I have met so many people who are not limited tothinking about themselves and ignoring their responsibilities to the future.
These are people who care seriously about their community and the future,
and are prepared and eager to fulfill their responsibilities. As long as wehave such amazing people of conscience among us, the future of Japan isbright. This is my belief.
I am appealing to the Japanese people with whom we are standing today atthis historic turning point.
This House of Councillors election represents nothing other than an epic
battle between the Abe administration and the conscience of the people ofJapan. We are committed to overcoming the grave situation created by the
Abe administration and to protecting peace and people’s lives.
The Democratic Party will fight with all its might.
Katsuya Okada
President
The Democratic Party
Move Forward with the People3Tentative Translation as of June 20 2016

How do you feel about your life right now?
We will reflect the voices of individuals in our policies.
Politics exists in order to bring forth the amazing power that exists withineach and every one of the people who live in our nation.
However, politics currently refuses to listen to the voices of citizens, andwidens social inequalities, and the Japanese people have lost sight of thehopes they should have for their lives.
The Democratic Party will move forward with the People.
“I want to receive nursing care, but I can’t find a nursing home that willtake me, and I don’t know what to do.”

Woman in her eighties“Why do I receive less pay than men even though we are doing the same
work?”

Women in her twenties“I want to find a permanent job, but all the openings are for temporary
employees.”

Man in his twenties“I can’t see any improvement at all in the economic situation in the regions.

Man in his fifties“If we keep on like this I feel as if we are getting closer to war, and it makes
me nervous.”

Man in his twenties“As a university student, I am worried about being able to repay myscholarship loan.”

Teenage woman“I want the government to make it clear exactly how they are using
taxpayers’ money.”

Woman in her twenties“If things stay this way, I won’t be able to keep on farming.”

Man in his fifties“My child can’t get a nursery place.”

Woman in her forties

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Tentative Translation as of June 20 2016

Our Promise to the People

01.

Economic affluence begins with enriching ordinary
peopleThe Current Situation
Because of the failure of Abenomics, prices have gone up while wages
remain unchanged. Various inequalities have widened, and a sense of
insecurity is spreading. The economy will not improve by making the richricher.
1. Economy remains stagnant
During the administration of the now-defunct Democratic Party of Japan,
real economic growth averaged 1.7 percent per year. This has dropped to 0.8
percent under the current administration. It is clear that Abenomics has
failed to achieve results.
2. Real wages have also decreased
Real wages, adjusted for the rise in prices, have fallen below 95 from abenchmark of 100 in 2010. As a result, consumption has also failed toincrease.
3. Irregular employment is increasing
Irregular employment now accounts for more than 40 percent of
employment. As a result, jobs are becoming increasingly unstable.
Solutions Proposed by the Democratic Party
We will shift to economic policies that begin by enriching ordinary people.
Now is the time to change the economic policies of the last three and a halfyears.
Growing inequalities and skewed distribution of wealth and opportunities
are preventing people from reaching their full potential and obstructing
personal consumption.
What Japan needs is to achieve both distribution of wealth and economic
growth.”To achieve fair redistribution of wealth and to realize Japan’s full potential,
we will determinedly pursue “investment in people,” “revolution in work
culture,” and a “growth strategy.”This is the crux of the Democratic Party’s economic policies.
5Tentative Translation as of June 20 2016
Priority Policies for Regaining Economic Affluence Beginning by Enriching
Ordinary People(1) We will realize infinite possibilities by investment in people
Investment in people is the main source of power needed to stimulate theJapanese economy. The Democratic Party will work to reduce the burden
placed on nurseries, kindergartens, and compulsory education, and will
create grant-in-aid scholarships for entering university. We will strengthen
the link between learning and working by enhancing vocational andtechnical education, and by developing a more diverse menu for public
vocational training. To support entrepreneurship, we will increase subsidies
for IT, design, human resource development, R&D, and related endeavors.
(2) We will implement a revolution in work culture to create an environment
where individuals can realize their full potential
The Democratic Party will change the current work culture, where overtime
work is the norm, and improve work productivity. We will strongly support
the ability to work and simultaneously raise children or care for the elderly
by shifting from a work culture where overtime is the norm and increasing
work productivity. We will raise the minimum wage so that everyone earns
at least 1,000 yen per hour. We will review the undesirable amendment of
the Worker Dispatching Act to achieve “equal pay for work of equal value.”In this way, we will bring relief to household budgets, stimulate
consumption, and achieve economic growth.
(3) We will realize Japan’s full potential through a growth strategy[1] By providing assistance to R&D in telemedicine, iPS cell technologies,
and artificial intelligence, and promoting the use of IoT and Big Data, wewill support innovations that protect lives and livelihoods.
[2] We will promote the green-energy revolution and global warming
countermeasures.
[3] To assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to increase theemployment of full-time workers, we will introduce subsidies covering 50
percent of the increase in employer’s social insurance contributions. To
support the management of SMEs, we will not expand the application of
invoice and size-based business taxes, and we will prohibit third-person
guarantee systems.
[4] We will make further improvements in the tax system governing
donations to NPOs to promote development of the “New Public Commons”,
so that civic powers who are capable of solving social issues can continue
their activities.
[5] We will actively pursue measures for using tourism as an engine for
growth in local economies. These measures will include fostering humanresources in tourism management, and making it easier for workers ingeneral to take paid leave.
[6] “Special zones” have proven to be successful and we will expand themnationwide, lowering barriers to new entrants and entrepreneurship.

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Tentative Translation as of June 20 2016
Coping with the Failure of Abenomics
1. We will postpone raising the consumption tax and concentrate on
rebuilding lives
Abenomics has failed, creating a situation where it is impossible to raise theconsumption tax as originally planned. To rebuild the lives of ordinary
people, we will postpone raising the consumption tax rate by two years toApril 2019, subject to the following four conditions.
[1] Increased budgets for pensions, healthcare and long-term care, andchildrearing support will be implemented as scheduled in April 2017
without waiting for the consumption tax increase.
[2] A determined commitment will be made to implementing administrativereforms such as eliminating wasteful use of taxpayers’ money. At the sametime, we will not shy away from painful political reforms.
[3] A firm commitment to our goal of returning Japan’s primary balance to asurplus by 2020, to ensure that the burden is not passed to the next
generation.
[4] Reduced tax rates benefiting high-income individuals will be abolished.
Additional revenue from higher consumption tax rates will be used tofinance tax credits with benefits for middle- and low-income individuals.
2. We will work to abolish negative interest rates
Efforts to force price levels upward will only create greater pain forhouseholds if wages fall behind prices. In particular, negative interest rates
not only have a major negative impact on depositors, but may also
undermine the basic architecture of financial markets. We will prompt the
Bank of Japan to abolish negative interest rates while continuing to fightdeflation and to work to stabilize exchange rates. We will encourage the
Bank of Japan to adopt more flexible monetary policies in light of present
circumstances.

Our Promise to the People

02.

Children first
The Current Situation
There has been no fall in the number of children waiting for a place atpublic nurseries. The income levels of parents directly influences whether
children continue on to university. One in six children is living in poverty.
The government has failed to propose fundamental responses to these
critical problems.
1. No fall in the number of children waiting for nursery places
More and more people want to continue working while raising children, but
the problem of wait-listed children unable to enter nurseries remains totallyunresolved. Investigations by the Democratic Party have shown that in7

Tentative Translation as of June 20 2016
addition to the official number of wait-listed children announced by the
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, there are more than 60,000“hidden wait-listed children” not reflected in government statistics.
2. Positive correlation between lower family income and lower university
entrance rate
Private spending accounts for an average of 30.3 percent of total spendingon higher education among the advanced OECD countries. The ratio ofprivate spending in Japan stands at 65.7 percent and is extremely highcompared to the OECD average. As a result, the university entrance rate forchildren of households with an annual income of 4 million yen or lesslanguishes at around 30 percent.
Solutions Proposed by the Democratic Party
For the Democratic Party, children come first.
To create a society where all children stand at the same starting line
regardless of their family background, we will work step-by-step to realize
free education.
We will reduce the burden of childrearing and stop the declining birthrate.
While working to ensure the availability of sufficient financial resources, asa goal for the future, we will extend the free high-school education achieved
under the now-defunct Democratic Party of Japan administration to othereducational institutions, from nurseries and kindergartens to universities.
We will also reduce burdens placed on households by school meals and othersimilar expenditures.
Priority Policies for Placing Children First
1. We will increase the salary of nursery and kindergarten workers by
50,000 yen per month
Eliminating the shortage in nursery employees is key to resolving the
problem of wait-listed children. Monthly salaries for nursery employees areabout 110,000 yen lower than the average for all industries. To create
nursery care that meets children’s needs, we will raise monthly salaries by
50,000 yen to “increase the number of nursery/kindergarten employees”
while “ensuring quality.” We reject the policies of the current administration,
which place lives in danger by lowering quality and packing children into
nurseries.
2. We will create grant-in-aid scholarships with no obligation to repay
We will create an environment where all young people wishing to enter
university, vocational college, or other institutions can continue theireducation regardless of parents’ income and other household conditions, andgraduate without being burdened with student loans. To achieve this, we
8Tentative Translation as of June 20 2016
will create grant-in-aid scholarships with no obligation to repay, which isthe norm in developed countries. At the same time, we will work toeliminate interest charges on student loans. We will endeavor to create asystem where people with outstanding student loans will be able to repay
their loans without difficulty based on income level.
3. We will give our full support to children of single-parent households
Half of the children of single-parent households are living in poverty. We
will extend the payment of childcare allowances to age 20, and raise
allowances for the second child and beyond to 10,000 yen per month.
Payment methods will be revised to monthly payments. By supporting
parents and children, we will increase opportunities for continuing on to
universities and vocational colleges.
4. We will reduce co-payment burdens of nursery, healthcare and otherservices
Lives are seriously disrupted when households are forced to simultaneously
bear the co-payment burdens of healthcare, long-term care, nursery fees,
and welfare services for disabled persons. To cope with this problem, we will
introduce an upper limit on total co-payment amounts and create a“cumulative charging system” to allow people to receive services without
financial anxiety. We will enhance public assistance for infertility treatment
and expand related counselling and support systems.
5. We will protect children’s lives and support their development
We will tackle the problems of child abuse, bullying, and juvenile suicide
head-on. We will enhance counselling services and expand support systems
tailored to meet the individual needs of children. We will formulate newlaws to expand special child adoption systems so that children who cannot
be raised by their biological parents can grow and develop in a family
environment.
6. We will change laws to allow young people to run for the House ofRepresentatives and the House of Councillors at ages 20 and 25,
respectively
The voting age has been lowered to 18 years of age. We will lower theminimum age for candidacy in all elections by five years, allowing candidacy
for the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors at ages 20
and 25, respectively. We will promote education of the public as the sourceof sovereignty, encourage the participation of young people in politics andenhance democracy.

Our Promise to the People

03.

Protect workers and change the Japanese work culture

9Tentative Translation as of June 20 2016
Irregular employment has come to account for more than 40 percent of alljobs in Japan. However, no improvement has been made in resolving the
problems of wage inequality and the working poor. There is a pressing needto implement policies for protecting workers and changing the Japanesework culture.
Priority Policies for Protecting Workers and Changing Work Culture
1. We will resolve wage inequality between irregular and regular workers
In many cases, irregular workers performing equal value work are paid lessmerely for the reason that they are irregular workers. This situation ispatently unfair. We will create a law to realize “equal pay for work of equalvalue,” and prohibit unreasonable differences in wages and treatment. We
will overturn the current system so that the burden of proof for establishingthat employment practices are not discriminatory will be borne bymanagement, instead of irregular workers themselves. In introducing thesechanges, we will ensure that the low wages and poor working conditions ofirregular workers will not be used as a benchmark for the workforce as awhole.
2. We will formulate laws to eliminate long working hours
Long working hours undermine the work-life balance, obstruct the social
participation of women, and lower work efficiency. We will formulate a lawthat will set a limit on overtime work. We will aim to mandate a minimum
interval of 11 hours from the time a worker leaves work and the time thathe or she returns to work on the following day. We will promote efficient
work practices, and will eliminate “black businesses” that exploit workers,
as well as deaths from overwork.
3. We will realize a “minimum wage of 1,000 yen for all”
Surprisingly, it is not widely known that Japan’s minimum wage is among
the lowest in developed countries. Even within Japan, wide regional
differences persist and are a leading cause of inequality. While providing
SMEs with appropriate support, we will raise the minimum wage to ensurethat everyone can earn 1,000 yen or more an hour.
4. We will increase participation in the employees’ pension system
We will aim to ensure all people working for businesses are enrolled in theemployees’ pension and health insurance systems, regardless of their formof employment. As the first step, we will gradually extend the scope ofparticipation in the systems to irregular employees.
5. We will support full-time employment by SMEs
Employer’s social insurance contributions place a heavy burden on SMEs,
and are one of the reasons why SMEs hesitate to employ full-time workers.
To increase full-time jobs, we will introduce subsidies covering 50 percent of
the social insurance contributions of SMEs for new full-time employees
when certain conditions are met.
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Tentative Translation as of June 20 2016
6. We will revise the Undesirable Amendment of the Worker DispatchingAct
The current administration made an undesirable amendment to the Worker
Dispatching Act that effectively abolished time limits on the employment of
dispatched workers. This has resulted in the emergence of “lifetime”
dispatched workers, and an increase in “low wage” temporary staff. We will
review provisions that allow businesses to continuously use cheap labor by
regularly replacing temporary staff. We will open the way to full-time
employment of temporary staff while improving their working conditions.

Our Promise to the People04.

Changing Society through Women’s Voices
We will create a new society where both men and women can makeindividual choices on how to live and how to enrich their lives. To achievethis, we will move away from rigidly rooted gender-based roles andstereotypes to a freer and fairer society, and bid farewell to outdated
systems.
Priority Policies for Changing Society through Women’s Voices
1. We will aim to achieve “equal pay for men and women”
A large wage inequality persists between men and women, with women’s
average salary amounting to only about 70 percent of that for men. To
ensure that the same wages are paid for work of equal value, we will createa law mandating “equal pay for work of equal value”. We will change thecurrent work culture, where overtime work is accepted as the norm, andenact a law to eliminate long working hours to ensure that childrearing andwork are not mutually exclusive.
2. We will aim to achieve equality in the number of male and female
politicians
In the area of politics, we will propose legislation aimed at achieving
equality in the “number of male and female candidates,” and legislation
making it possible to adopt “alternating male-female lists” in the
proportional representation constituencies for House of Representatives
elections.
3. We will allow couples to opt for different surnames
Requiring most women to change their surname after marriage can impair
the dignity of women and act as an obstacle to work continuation. We will
formulate legislation to allow married couples to select different surnames
so that both husband and wife can retain their surnames after marriage ifthey so choose.

11Tentative Translation as of June 20 2016
4. We will establish support centers for the protection of victims of sexual
violence in all prefectures
We will move to revise the Act on the Prevention of Spousal Violence andProtection of Victims and the Anti-Stalking Act, and will take rigorous
action against crimes that impair the dignity of victims. We will create onestop centers for consoling and supporting the mind, body, and daily lives ofvictims of sexual violence without them having to report to the police.

Our Promise to the People

05.

Preserving the peace of mind of seniors
There is something wrong with a society where old-age bankruptcy andpost-retirement inequality adds to the anxiety of people who have always
lived and worked diligently. We will create a society where people can growold with peace of mind.
Priority Policies for Preserving the Peace of Mind of Senior Generations
1. We will increase pension benefits and ease the qualifications forreceiving benefits
Reduced pension benefits are threatening the lives of the elderly. We will
increase pension benefits for low-pension recipients in April 2017
(maximum increase of 60,000 yen per year) without waiting for a
consumption tax hike. We will ease the qualifications for receiving pension
benefits by shortening the required period of premium payment fromtwenty-five years to ten years.
2. We will commit to safe management of pension funds
The current administration doubled the share of equity investment inmanaging the 140 trillion yen held in the Employees’ Pension and National
Pension funds. It is estimated that this resulted in a loss of 5 trillion yen in
the first year alone. We will transition to safe management of pension funds
by rectifying the fund management of the current administration andreducing equity investment.
3. We will reduce co-payment burdens of healthcare, long-term care, andother services
Lives are seriously disrupted when households are forced to simultaneously
bear the co-payment burdens of healthcare, long-term care, nursery fees,
and welfare services for disabled persons. To cope with this problem, we will
introduce an upper limit on total co-payment amounts and create a“cumulative charging system” to allow people to receive services without
financial anxiety.
4. We will raise wages for long-term care workers and enhance long-termcare
12Tentative Translation as of June 20 2016
Although long-term care workers are engaged in heavy and demanding
labor, their wages are below the average for other industries, resulting in achronic shortage of long-term care workers. We will increase the monthly
salary of long-term care workers and providers of services to disabled
persons by 10,000 yen. We will reduce the wait-list for entering long-termcare facilities and ensure that all persons who require long-term care will
receive the services they need.
5. We will support people who want to continue working
Seniors who want to continue working should be able to do so. To make thispossible, we will steadily implement related measures such as encouraging
businesses to raise the worker retirement age and introduce systems forcontinued employment.

Our Promise to the People

06.

We Will Not Pass on the Burden to Future Generations
How can we allow ourselves to burden our children and grandchildren with
the negative legacy of national debt, global warming, and other problems?
The Democratic Party will meet its responsibilities to future generations.
Priority Policies for Not Passing the Burden to Future Generations
1. We will promote fiscal reconstruction
We will formulate an act promoting fiscal reconstruction that includes
specific targets and strategies for achieving fiscal reconstruction. In thisway, we will realize a sustainable fiscal structure.
2. We will use all available policy resources to eliminate nuclear power
generation by the 2030s
We will strictly enforce the 40-year operation limit on nuclear power plants,
prohibit the licensing of new plants, and ban the restart of plants that havenot been certified for safety. We believe no nuclear power plant should berestarted without a responsible evacuation plan.
3. We will reform the tax system to rectify inequalities
We will require major corporations and the wealthy to bear their fair shareof taxes. We will raise the tax rate on financial income by 5 percent, and will
also raise the income tax rate on the wealthy. We will move forward on
revising income tax deductions and the progressivity of property taxes. We
will make concerted efforts to prevent tax evasion, which has become aninternational concern with the release of the Panama Papers.
4. We will not shy away from implementing painful political reforms
We will keep the promise made to the people to reduce the number of seatsin the Diet, and will take the initiative in implementing other reforms that
13

Tentative Translation as of June 20 2016
are painful to Diet members. We will move to enact laws to prohibit political
donations by businesses and organizations, mandate disclosure of the use of“communication, transportation, and accommodation expenses” (expense
account for activities of Diet members), and mandate Internet disclosure offinancial reports of political organizations with ties to Diet members
collated by name of entities paying and receiving funds.
5. We will rigorously reexamine the use of taxpayers’ money
We will introduce a strict ban on amakudari, legislate for an administrative
project review that determines the destination and uses of budget
expenditures, and we will adopt an administrative reform act to eliminate
the waste of taxpayer money. We will restore labor rights and create
mechanisms for determining labor conditions through negotiation. Subject
to consulting and reaching agreement with civil servant organizations, wewill work toward reducing the total personnel expenditure on national civil
servants by 20 percent.
6. We will promote global warming countermeasures
We will adopt targets for raising the share of renewable energy to 30
percent, and reducing CO2 emissions by 30 percent by 2030. We will steadily
implement countermeasures to global warming by promoting energy-saving
measures and the local production and consumption of energy.

Our Promise to the People

07.

Reconstructing Local Economies
The Current Situation
Tied subsidies have been reintroduced and income support for rice farmers
has been cut in half. The central government, far removed from the realityof the countryside and farming communities, continues to intervene andmicromanage local economies, but this does nothing to prevent theirdownward spiral.
1. Regional individuality is being ignored
While calling for regional revitalization, what the current administration
has actually been doing is to restrict freedom and stymie local initiatives.
Reducing subsidies that can be used freely and resurrecting tied subsidies toforce strategies dictated by the central government can only accelerate thedecline of local economies.
2. Five “sacred” agricultural products were not protected
The current administration came to power with the promise of “determined
opposition to the TPP.” However they have been unable to keep theirpromise to protect even one of the five “sacred” agricultural products
considered vital to Japan. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement
as it stands does not protect Japan’s national interests.
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Tentative Translation as of June 20 2016
3. Food safety and Japanese agriculture are under threat
The current administration has hastily halved income support for rice
farmers and intends to phase out the program completely by 2018. Rice
prices have plummeted to unprecedented levels, and programs encouraging
farmers to shift to growing feed-grade rice provide scant hope. At this rate,
it will be impossible to protect Japanese agriculture.
Solutions Proposed by the Democratic Party
We will promote “reforms for regional sovereignty” that will empower local
communities to make their own decisions.
We will protect agriculture, forestry, and fishery industries and develop selfreliant regional economies that can stand on their own feet in terms of
economy, employment, and energy.
Priority Policies for Reconstructing Local Economies
1. We will provide fiscal resources that regions can use freely
We will abolish tied subsidies whose uses are determined by the central
government, and will resurrect “lump-sum subsidies” that can be usedautonomously by local communities. We will promote effective use of fiscal
resources based on the ideas and initiatives formulated by local
governments and residents.
2. We will create legal provisions to implement individual householdincome support for farmers as a permanent system
Supporting farm management is an important factor in protecting foodsafety and security and raising Japan’s food self-sufficiency ratio. We will
support commercial farming by legislating for individual household income
support for farmers as a permanent system, and will develop agriculture asa pillar of regional revitalization.
3. We will raise farm incomes by developing agriculture as a “sixth sector”
We will accelerate the development of agriculture as a “sixth sector” thatcombines agriculture, forestry, and fishery industries with manufacturing,commerce and tourism. We will create an environment in which motivatedyoung people and women are able to engage in agriculture, forestry, andfishery activities in a sustained fashion, and will revitalize agriculture,
forestry, and fishery industries so that they become a source of new
employment opportunities. We will raise agriculture, forestry, and fisheryoperators’ incomes by aggressively promoting the export of agricultural,
forestry and fishery products as well as food products.
4. We oppose the current TPP Agreement
Diet deliberations made it clear that (1) the five “sacred” agricultural
products crucial to Japan’s national interest were not protected, (2) only
minor benefits will accrue to the automobile sector, and (3) information
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Tentative Translation as of June 20 2016
regarding the details of negotiations and the reasons for the positions taken
have not been disclosed. For these reasons, we will oppose the TPP
Agreement in its current form.
5. We will promote the local production of energy for local consumption
We will promote the local production of energy for local consumption as atool for regional revitalization by using solar power and biomass resources
to generate energy and jobs in the region. We will enact four laws enabling
such initiatives as creating energy-related cooperatives to be implemented,
and will assist a diverse range of small businesses in line with the uniquecharacteristics of each region.
6. We will promote culture and sports
We will work to ensure the success of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic
Games, and will see to it that the economic benefits of hosting the Olympics
reach all parts of the country. Pre-Olympic training of athletes and cultural
exchanges will be spread throughout Japan. We will develop an
environment where young people, seniors, people with disabilities, andforeigners can participate together in cultural and sporting activities.
7. We will reduce the cost of transportation and distribution
We will lower automobile-related taxes and promote the use of highways toaccelerate regional revitalization. We will revitalize public transport
networks in the regions to realize a society where everyone can travel
wherever they wish, where opportunities for social participation are
unrestricted and where people can enjoy comfort and affluence.

Our Promise to the People

08.

Reconstructing
Disaster-Affected
Strengthening Disaster Prevention

Areas

and

We will make the greatest possible effort to promote recovery andreconstruction of areas affected by large earthquakes and other frequently
occurring disasters, and will use these experiences to strengthen regional
disaster prevention.
Priority Policies for Reconstructing
Strengthening Disaster Prevention

Disaster-Affected

Areas

and

1. We will accelerate the reconstruction and revitalization of disasteraffected areas following the 3/11 earthquake and tsunami
The reconstruction of the Tohoku region is only partially completed. During
the five-year concentrated reconstruction period that immediately followed
the Great East Japan Earthquake, all earthquake-related reconstruction
projects were paid for by the central government. We will apply the same
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Tentative Translation as of June 20 2016
terms to earthquake-related reconstruction projects undertaken during an
additional five-year reconstruction and revitalization period (2016–2020).
2. We will promote the reconstruction and revitalization of Fukushima
Prefecture from the nuclear power plant disaster
Without the revitalization of Fukushima Prefecture, there can be norevitalization of Japan. We will acknowledge the government’s
responsibility to society, and promote the reconstruction and revitalizationof Fukushima from the nuclear power plant disaster. We will make every
effort to ensure the safety of the damaged nuclear reactors, and will take aleadership role in coping with the leakage of contaminated water and otherchallenges related to decommissioning the reactors. We will act swiftly torebuild and stabilize livelihoods by supporting measures for countering
negative rumors and the erosion of interest and concern, thoroughdecontamination, and by implementing speedy payment of compensation.
3. We will engage in recovery and reconstruction from the Kumamoto
Earthquake
The earthquakes that shook Kumamoto in April caused extensive damage.
We will increase support for earthquake victims by raising the amount ofassistance from 3 million yen to 5 million yen, and expanding the scope ofassistance from homes that have suffered “large-scale destruction” toinclude homes that have been “partially destroyed”. We will make thegreatest possible effort to speed recovery and reconstruction from the
Kumamoto Earthquake by such means as suspending all highway tolls inaffected areas.
4. We will strengthen regional disaster prevention—learning from ourexperiences and spreading the acquired knowhow to all parts of Japan
We will formulate disaster evacuation plans and create mechanisms forthoroughly informing and educating residents about these plans. We will
strengthen regional disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities by
supporting the activities of fire departments, disaster prevention experts,
voluntary disaster prevention organizations, citizen’s fire-fighting brigades,
women’s disaster prevention clubs, and disaster volunteer teams. We willdevelop mechanisms for the central government to react responsibly tomassive-scale disasters, such as by promptly dispatching ministry andagency staff members with disaster-response expertise.

Our Promise to the People

09.

We Will Defend Our Country and Contribute to theInternational Community
We will defend Japan and contribute to global peace and prosperity. We willdevelop Japan’s defensive capabilities predicated on an exclusively
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defensive posture. We will deepen the Japan-US alliance and realize
coexistence with the Asia-Pacific region.
Priority Policies for Defending our Country and Contributing to theInternational Community
1. We will strengthen the nation’s defense to be “Realistic in Japan’s
vicinity and restrictive in far-off regions”
To facilitate speedy and coordinated responses by police authorities, theJapan Coast Guard, and the Self-Defense Forces to “grey zone” incidents
that do not involve armed attacks in the Senkaku Islands and elsewhere, wewill create a Territorial Security Act. We will revise the Act Concerning the
Measures for the Peace and Security of Japan in Situations that Will Havean Important Influence on Japan’s Peace and Security so that we canmaintain the principle of “surrounding areas” in the provision of logistic
support by the Self-Defense Forces to U.S. armed forces, while expanding
the scope of support for U.S. armed forces on the high seas, thereby
enhancing capabilities for joint Japan-U.S. operations.
While maintaining an ongoing dialogue with Okinawa, we will steadily
implement the Japan-U.S. agreement on the transformation of U.S. armed
forces. We will propose the revision of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces
Agreement and do our best to reduce the burden borne by residents ofrelated areas.
2. We will contribute to international peace—taking a positive stance onhumanitarian assistance
We will revise the International Peace Cooperation Act and expand thescope of international peace cooperation operations to include such activities
as disarming and rehabilitating former combatants, and restructuring
public security sectors. We will collaborate with NGOs to overcome suchchallenges as achieving sustainable development and coping with global
environment problems.
3. We will resolutely defend Japan’s national sovereignty
We will actively convey to the international community our unchanging
positions on the Senkaku Islands and Japan’s sovereignty. On the Northern
Territories, we will move forward on negotiations with Russia in light ofvarious bilateral agreements reached in the past and on the basis of theprinciples of law and justice. On Takeshima, we will patiently andtenaciously call on South Korea for a resolution based on international law.
4. We will do our utmost to solve the abduction issue
The abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea represents a grave
violation of both national sovereignty and human rights. We will
determinedly pursue an early resolution to this problem, while continuing to
examine the Stockholm Agreement that fails to set a fixed deadline.
5. We will strengthen anti-terrorism measures

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Tentative Translation as of June 20 2016
We will strengthen immigration control and introduce stricter regulation on
terrorism-related movement of funds and drug trafficking. We will eliminate
the breeding grounds of terrorism by using ODA and other means toalleviate poverty in developing countries, promote peace-building activities,
and support democracy.
6. We will promote the abolition of nuclear weapons
As the only country to have suffered from nuclear attack during wartime,
we will work toward realizing a world free of nuclear weapons.

Our Promise to the People

10.

Defending the Pacifism Enshrined in Our Constitution
The Current Situation
The Liberal Democratic Party is currently proposing to amend Article 9 of
the Constitution, create a “National Defense Army”, and exercise the rightof collective self-defense without any constitutional restraints. The movetoward amending Article 9 threatens Japan’s pacifism. The outcome ofefforts to stop the movement to revise Article 9 rides on the forthcoming
House of Councillors election.
Constitutionalism and pacifism are under threat
In September 2015, the current administration forcibly enacted an
unconstitutional package of national security laws in face of opposition from
more than 60 percent of the population.
Solutions Proposed by the Democratic Party
We will defend to the end the constitutionalism and pacifism that theJapanese people have nurtured over the 70 years of the postwar period.
Priority Policies for Defending the Pacifism Enshrined in Our Constitution
1. We will nullify the national security laws enacted last year
The present administration has intentionally and opportunistically altered
the interpretation of the Constitution to allow the exercise of collective selfdefense under very ambiguous terms. This challenges the Constitution’s
principle of constitutionalism empowering the people to halt the excesses ofstate power, and undermines the principle of pacifism enshrined in Article 9.
This travesty can never be accepted. We will demand nullification of thenational security laws enacted last year.
2. We will oppose the amendment of Article 9 which threatens pacifism
The principle of pacifism expressed in Article 9 of the Constitution has at its
core the commitment never to become involved in overseas conflicts with the19Tentative Translation as of June 20 2016use of force. Amending Article 9 to give constitutional approval to theunrestricted exercise of collective self-defense, as proposed in the Liberal
Democratic Party’s Draft Constitution, can by no means be permitted. We
will resolutely uphold the principle of pacifism.
3. We will work with the people in envisioning a forward-looking
constitution
The Constitution of Japan is founded on the principles of “sovereignty of thepeople,” “respect for fundamental human rights,” and “pacifism.” These
principles that have been painstakingly nurtured by the people of Japanover the 70 years of the postwar period must be firmly maintained. With
this as a premise, we will work with the people in envisioning a forwardlooking constitution that addresses new issues that reflect the changing
times, such as “new human rights” and “reforming the structure ofgovernment.”

Our Promise to the People

11.

Defending the Freedom and Rights of the People
The Current Situation
In recent years, the media has hesitated to report on matters thatinconvenience the government. There is also evidence of growing intolerance
toward diverse values and denial of human rights of minorities. Left alone,these developments can destroy the foundations of democracy.
1. Act on the Protection of Specially Designated Secrets places government
information in a black box
The Act on the Protection of Specially Designated Secrets forcibly enacted in
December 2013 allows the government to conceal information that it findsinconvenient. The monitoring powers given to the Review Board created in
the Diet are insufficient.
2. Freedom of the press is under attack
Japan’s World Press Freedom Index was steadily rising until 2010 when it
ranked 11th. Since then it has plummeted, falling to number 72 this year.
Solutions Proposed by the Democratic Party
We will halt the out-of-control policies of the present administration. We
will stand on the side of the people and realize a free and diverse society.
Priority Policies for Defending the Freedom and Rights of the People
1. We will ensure the people’s right to know and freedom of the press
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We will review the Act on the Protection of Specially Designated Secrets,
and strengthen the monitoring functions of the Diet and other institutions
so that the government will not be able to wrongfully conceal information.
We will revise the Act on Access to Information Held by Administrative
Organs to expand the scope of information disclosure and to lower the costof filing disclosure requests. We will respect the freedom of broadcasters to
produce and schedule programs. We will not engage in the arbitrary
stoppage of broadcasters’ transmissions as provided under the Broadcast
Act.
2. We will create a law to eliminate LGBT discrimination
We will create a society where diverse values and the human rights ofminority members are fully respected. We will further develop the Hate
Speech Countermeasures Act to create a law that prohibits discrimination
by reason of race, ethnicity, and birth. We will enact a law to eliminate
LGBT discrimination (law prohibiting discrimination on the grounds ofsexual orientation or gender identity).
3. We will prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities
We will strive to effectively apply the provisions of the Act on the
Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities. We willdevelop infrastructure and human resources to allow cancer patients,
persons with intractable diseases and others to live free from anxiety intheir own local communities.

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The Democratic Party’s Promise to the People
We Will Rebuild the Economy and People’s Lives
Widening inequalities and the decline in real wages prove that Abenomics
has come to a complete dead end.
Now is the time for us to shift to economic policies that begin by enrichingordinary people.
What is needed is to achieve both distribution of wealth and economic
growthWe will determinedly pursue “investment in people”, “revolution in work
culture” and a “growth strategy”

We Will Protect the Pacifist Principles of the Constitution
The Liberal Democratic Party is currently attempting to revise Article 9 of
the Constitution, create a “National Defense Army”, and make it possible forJapan to exercise the right to collective self-defense without any
constitutional restrictions.
We will stop the out-of-control behavior of the current administration, anddefend to the end the pacifist principle of the Constitution that has been
nurtured by Japan during the postwar period.

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