February 24, 2013

Since ancient times, Japan has taken elements from both Eastern and Western culture to create a nation of great prosperity with unique traditions and culture we are justly proud of. We have successfully recovered from World War II, an event which caused enormous suffering.

However, for a long time now, the Japanese people have felt a growing sense of helplessness and insecurity. This has been brought on by the decline in our national power caused by the long-term slump in the domestic economy, the aging of society coupled with the decreasing birthrate, and the fall in total population size, as well as international changes such as the rise of emerging economies.

In the midst of all this, the Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent nuclear power station accident caused unprecedented damage to Japan. These events force us to redefine our lifestyles and reconsider our aspirations for science, technology, and our material civilization.

Japan stands at a major crossroads. We must rebuild our nation to create a sustainable society where all can work with a sense of purpose and share burdens based on just, fair, and transparent rules. And it must be a nation in which political parties uphold relationships of trust with the public.

After realizing a change of government and then suffering defeat in the subsequent general elections, we will get back to basics and clarify our aspirations. The reform of Japan is still half-complete. We must once again rise as the party of the people and make another bid for control of the Government.

What We Stand For

We are the party of citizens, taxpayers, consumers and workers. At the same time, we are the party of reform, struggling against vested interests and collusion to fulfill our responsibility to future generations. Based on these fundamental values, we will work for political reform, administrative reform, fiscal reform, regional sovereignty reform, the reform of government systems, regulatory reform, and other sociopolitical reforms.

What We Will Achieve

• I. The Construction of a Society Built on Mutual Coexistence

  We will build a strong and accepting society in which every person is respected as a unique individual. We aim for a society in which people support each other while embracing diversity, one in which everyone has a place and a role to play.

  1. Promoting the "New Public Sector"

     We will respect the position of citizens as the main actors in charge of the public sector, wresting control away from the Government which has monopolized power over this sector throughout modern times and passing the baton to the relevant organizations. We will develop a society in which local governments, schools, nonprofit organizations (NPOs), and individuals work together in full partnership.

  2. Holding Tight to the Principles of Justice and Fairness

     We will uphold human rights, hold tight to the principles of justice and fairness, and create opportunities and environments allowing for sufficient, lifelong learning. We will realize a society in which both women and men participate as equals and have opportunities to realize their full individuality and potential. We will right unfair disparities, and create a society where all people can enjoy healthy and cultured lives by building a sustainable social security system to last well into the future.

  3. Creating Happiness through Economic Growth

     We will respect individual independence while at the same time offering a helping hand to the needy. We will develop the economy in harmony with the global environment, and use the fruits of economic growth for the happiness of the people. We will increase the number of people who use their time and income not just to meet their own needs but also to support others.

• II. The Protection of Japan and Contributions to the Peace and Prosperity of the World

  The development of Japan was accomplished through open exchange with other countries. We will deepen the Japan-U.S. Alliance, which is the cornerstone of Japan's foreign policy, and realize harmonious relations with neighboring countries in the Asia-Pacific region, while at the same time protecting the lives, property, and territory of Japan by developing our nation's defense capabilities based on exclusively defense-oriented principles. We will contribute to the peace and prosperity of the international community through multilateral frameworks like the United Nations, defending enlightened national interests and broad human security.

• III. The Realization of the Basic Spirit of the Constitution

  We will realize the basic spirit of "popular sovereignty, respect for basic human rights and pacifism" enshrined in the Japanese Constitution. We will work to create a vision for a future-oriented constitution with the Japanese public, based on a system that recognizes the Emperor as the symbol of our state and the unity of the people. We aim to advance true constitutionalism based on the principles of freedom and democracy.

• VI. A Government that Understands the Public

  We will identify the issues and act on them through engaging in community-based activities. We will ensure true intraparty governance by actively hosting debates and respecting their outcomes. We highly value transparency, participation and dialogue, and will seek to decide and implement policies through broad collaboration with the public.