Statement by Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio upon the General Resignation of the Kishida Cabinet

Today, the Kishida Cabinet resigned en masse.

Since the inauguration of my Cabinet three years ago, as our country faces “turning points between eras,” we have confronted challenges that cannot be postponed and have steadily advanced initiatives to “turn change into strength” in the fields of economic and social policy and diplomacy.

The revival of the economy is the Kishida administration's top priority. With this strong determination, since taking office, I have advocated for a “New Form of Capitalism” and strived to bring about a virtuous cycle of growth and distribution, as well as a virtuous cycle of wages and prices. Despite facing global inflation, and thanks to the cooperation of many, Japan's economy is facing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to break free from the deflationary economy that has persisted for the past 30 years and shift to a growth-oriented economy. We have also achieved significant results in transforming energy policy, such as introducing carbon pricing, GX (green transformation) Economy Transition Bonds, and promoting the use of nuclear power.

Regarding the issue of population decline, the greatest challenge facing Japanese society, we recognize that the period before entering the 2030s is the last chance to reverse the trend of declining birth rates. With this in mind, we have fundamentally strengthened support for children and child-rearing with an unprecedented budget of approximately 3.6 trillion yen. In addition, we have promoted the “Digital Garden City Nation Vision” and “Digital Administrative and Fiscal Reform,” striving to transform into a digital society as a means to overcome population decline.

The security environment around Japan has become the most challenging and complex since the end of World War II, due to serious global issues such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Kishida administration has actively pursued diplomacy to protect the safety of the day to day lives of our citizens and the prosperity of Japan, as well as to uphold a free and open international order based on the rule of law. At the same time, we have secured a defense budget of 43 trillion yen over five years to fundamentally enhance defense capabilities and support our diplomatic competence. Additionally, as security concerns have expanded to encompass economic and technological aspects, significant progress has also been made in the area of economic security.

We also experienced multiple natural disasters, such as the Noto Peninsula earthquake. The government will continue to work as one in firmly supporting those who have been affected and to restore their lives to a normal state as quickly as possible.

I would like to express my sincere appreciation once again for the understanding and cooperation we have received from the people of Japan during this period.

Realizing politics that listens to each citizen and earns the "trust and empathy" of the people. This is the foundation of the Kishida administration, and it is a commitment we have upheld consistently. It is unfortunate that the LDP's political fundraising issues have undermined public trust in politics, but we have worked diligently to ensure accountability and prevent such problems from happening again. Although we successfully enacted the revised Political Funds Control Act after thorough discussions among all parties and factions during the previous Diet session, there is no end to political reform, and we must continue to work on it.

Japan is at a crucial juncture, both domestically and internationally. I hope that under the new cabinet, key policies that will shape Japan's future are pursued with vigor. I ask for your support for the new cabinet and the new prime minister.

Thank you very much.