In the campaigns for the Aug. 30 Lower House election, voter interest appears to be focused on domestic policies directly related to their daily lives, while issues related to diplomacy and security appear to have been put on the back burner. These issues are mentioned when Prime Minister Taro Aso attacks the Democratic Party of Japan over its fuzziness on them.
In their campaigns, parties are emphasizing matters such as social security, education, support for children, employment stabilization and help for farmers. It is understandable that people are keen about these matters because they feel anxiety about their future lives amid the economic downturn.
But the parties should not close their eyes to the possibility of having to raise taxes to fund proposed measures. They should also remember that Japan needs to carry out financial reconstruction to pay back long-term debt accrued by the central and local governments.