By Tomoyuki Tachikawa,
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday that he will decide when to dissolve the House of Representatives after assessing "various circumstances," amid growing speculation that he will call a snap election by the end of the ongoing Diet session through June 21.
Kishida also said at a press conference that his government's role is to "address challenges that have been postponed" to date. The premier had said late last month that he was not considering dissolving the lower house "for now."
He is seen as leaning toward calling a general election in the not-so-distant future, with his popularity recovering due in part to such diplomatic accomplishments as hosting the Group of Seven summit in his constituency of Hiroshima in May.
Kishida held the news conference to provide details about his government's new steps to tackle Japan's rapidly declining birthrate, including removing an income limit for child-rearing allowances and raising payments for paternal leave.
The government has pledged to boost annual spending on child care by around 3.5 trillion yen ($25 billion), a level on par with nations like front-runner Sweden, over the years through fiscal 2027, but has yet to decide how to fund it.
Some opposition parties have criticized the Kishida administration for attempting to carry out large-scale tax hikes to secure financial resources for its child-rearing policy and a planned expansion of Japan's defense budget.
Kishida said his government will not seek additional burdens on the public for the child policy, promising to "thoroughly cut expenditures" in other fields to ensure the necessary budget.
The number of babies born in Japan in 2022 fell for the seventh consecutive year, dropping below 800,000 for the first time since record-keeping began in 1899, sparking concern that a sharply aging population would constrain the country's economic growth.
Kishida's government, meanwhile, has set a target of doubling Japan's annual defense budget to about 2 percent of gross domestic product over the next five years, on par with members of NATO.
On the diplomatic front, Kishida reiterated his eagerness to realize early talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to pave the way for a resolution to the long-standing issue of Japanese nationals abducted by Pyongyang in the 1970s and 1980s.
Late last month, Kishida said he would establish senior-level negotiations between Japan and North Korea in a bid to arrange a bilateral summit. However, he has not elaborated on what kind of official talks he envisions.
Kishida said Tuesday, "I will continue conveying my determination" to Kim from the perspective that Japan and North Korea "would work toward settling" their outstanding issues and "jointly open a new era."
When asked about setting a specific deadline for achieving a summit with Kim, such as within this year, Kishida said, "At this juncture, I would like to refrain from making any premature judgment and providing a definitive answer."
As for a possible lower house dissolution, Kishida is believed to be keen to strengthen his political base by winning a snap election before his term as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party ends in September 2024.
In another development, the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan has expressed willingness to submit a no-confidence motion against Kishida's Cabinet as an ultimate means to block the passage of key government-sponsored bills.
Kishida was mum about whether the submission of a non-confidence motion against the Cabinet would be a pretext to dissolve the lower house.
But fears are also mounting that the support rate for his Cabinet may fall again against a backdrop of public backlash over a series of problems related to "My Number" identification cards, including worries about the potential leakage of personal information.
Moreover, some veteran LDP lawmakers have voiced objection to an early dissolution of the lower house, with former Prime Minister Taro Aso, who now serves as the LDP vice president, saying, "I would like you to tell me the reason" why the chamber should be dissolved.
The current four-year terms for lower house members expire in October 2025 unless Kishida dissolves the chamber.
