rki.news | Xinhua
TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has faced growing criticism over her attendance at parliamentary sessions and responses to lawmakers’ questions, with opposition parties accusing her of undermining the role of the Diet, Japan’s parliament.
According to reports, Takaichi attended eight intensive Diet deliberations during the current parliamentary session, spending 29 hours and 36 minutes in total. The figure represents around 40 percent of the average attendance time recorded by former prime ministers Yoshihide Suga, Fumio Kishida and Shigeru Ishiba over the past five years.
Critics also highlighted that Takaichi attended only one monthly party leaders’ debate this year, despite an agreement between ruling and opposition parties to hold such discussions from April to June.
Opposition lawmakers said the legislative process has slowed significantly, noting that while nearly 98 percent of government bills were passed during Diet sessions from 2023 to 2025, only 73 percent have been approved in the current session.
Taku Yamazoe, policy chief of the Japanese Communist Party, accused Takaichi of avoiding parliamentary debates and providing unclear responses when questioned.
Yuki Honda, a professor at the University of Tokyo, criticized what she described as formulaic answers that contributed to parliamentary deadlock.
The Asahi Shimbun reported that Takaichi’s administration used its majority in the House of Representatives to limit debate on budget legislation and pass several bills despite opposition protests, deepening political tensions.