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On October 26, Prime Minister (DPJ President) Yukio Hatoyama gave his first policy speech since his appointment to the plenary session of the Diet. He stressed, “We must ensure that the perspectives of the socially disadvantaged and minorities are respected in politics. I would like to declare here today that this idea above all is the foundation of my politics of yuai (fraternity).”
Hatoyama divided his speech into the following six sections: 1. Introduction, 2. Protecting Human Lives, 3. A Society in which Each Person can Discover their “Place” and “Role” and a “Japanese Society Whose Members Offer Each Other Mutual Support” 4. Toward an Economy for the People, 5. Japan as a “Bridge”, 6. Conclusion.
In 1., Hatoyama stressed that the victors in the recent general election are the Japanese people themselves, and stated his intention of implementing a thorough spring-clean of the post-war administrative framework, from the two perspectives of “organisations and projects” and “reviewing the way in which tax money is used and budgets are formulated.” He also said that he would change the legal system, characterized by centralized authority and the convoy system, that was created during the era of sustained economic growth to one rooted in local sovereignty. Furthermore, he said that he would look at things from the perspective of what is best both for Japan and for the entire world, and transform the fiscal policy structure, which has become rigid, so that it dovetails with the principle of shifting the focus of spending “from concrete to people”.
In 2., Hatoyama stressed that people’s lives were the most important thing, and said the DPJ administration was aiming for a mode of government that would protect people’s livelihoods. He referred to the policy direction to be taken with regard to pensions, medical care, nursing care, child-rearing and education, and said, “We will realise a vibrant society that allows the coexistence of a diversity of cultures, and enables everyone to live with dignity.”
In 3., Hatoyama pointed out that the bonds of local communities are in the process of being torn apart, and suggested that Japan should aim to create a new kind of community, “by taking advantage of sports or artistic and cultural activities, child-rearing, nursing care and other volunteer work, environmental protection activities, regional disaster prevention initiatives and connections through the Internet and the like to re-knit networks of trust among residents so that ‘everybody knows somebody’.” Furthermore, he stated that it was only by “having each citizen nurture and develop the ideals of ‘self-sufficiency and co-existence’ that we can revive the bonds within society and recover the relationships of trust between people” and stressed that he would stand at the forefront of such efforts.
In 4., Hatoyama said, “the ideas that we should leave everything to market forces so that only the strong survive, or that we should pursue economic rationalism even at the expense of people’s daily lives are no longer valid,” and expressed his intention of shifting to an economy and society that places greater emphasis on the quality of people’s lives, an “economy for the people” that enables people to live their lives free from anxiety by directly supporting household budgets.
In 5., Hatoyama explained the basis for his diplomatic policy, saying that he aimed for Japan to become “a country that enjoys the trust of the international community as a “bridge” serving the world.” He referred specifically to the issue of climate change, saying, “Japan will play a leading role in international negotiations, having set a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2020 compared to the 1990 level.” He also stressed, “I intend to promote the concept of an East Asian Community as a highly transparent cooperative entity which is open to other regions.”
In 6., Hatoyama said, “Japan is a country that 140 years ago achieved the drastic reforms of the Meiji Reformation. Now, the Hatoyama government is working to achieve what you might call a ‘bloodless Heisei Reformation’. The current reformation involves a radical reform of the political system, breaking away from dependency on the bureaucracy and restoring sovereignty to the people. It is also an attempt to transform the very shape of our nation from a centralized state to one that emphasises regional and local sovereignty, and from an insular island to an open maritime state.” He went on, “Will the Japan that has until now pursued numerical growth follow a path from maturation to decline under the same ideas of yesteryear, or will it instead find a path to novel breakthroughs and enrichment beyond this maturation, drawing on fresh aspirations and intellectual power to formulate initiatives? We are now standing at such a crossroads.” Hatoyama closed his speech by emphasising, “together with the people, I will devote my utmost efforts to effecting a true change in history, and leading Japan to achieve a dramatic leap forward,” and called on his fellow citizens and Diet members to lend their support to efforts to “create a new Japan”.
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