Is Yuichiro Tamaki of the Democratic Party of Japan “three days in the sun”…Behind the Scenes of the Negotiations for the Annual Salary Barrier from 1.78 Million Yen to 1.23 Million Yen

The “breakthrough power” of Yuichiro Tamaki, a member of the House of Representatives of the People’s Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), is beginning to show signs of weakening.

The Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito have agreed to include an increase in the “1.23 million yen barrier” to “1.23 million yen” in their tax reform guidelines for the next fiscal year.

What is not satisfactory is the National Democratic Party of Japan (NDP), which had insisted on “1,780,000 yen. In consideration of the National Democratic Party of Japan, the following is included in the wording of the agreement

The language clearly states, “We will raise the salary to 1.78 million yen starting next year,” in consideration of the National Democratic Party of Japan.

However, the word “aim” is used in a vague manner. The atmosphere in the room suggests that it is very unlikely to reach 1.78 million yen.

Restoration agreed on a policy of free education

The 1.03 million yen annual income figure is the sum of the basic deduction of 480,000 yen and the employment income deduction of 550,000 yen. In previous discussions, the ruling party had proposed 1.23 million yen, an increase of 100,000 yen each, based on the fact that food and utility costs have risen since 1995.

The National Democratic Party of Japan, led by Mr. Tamaki, is to be credited for taking a scalpel to the Ministry of Finance’s “holy grail,” the “annual income barrier. However, when it came to the realization that the “1.23 million yen” proposal was being advanced by the autocrats, Mr. Tamaki was relegated to a minor role.

The winds changed on December 17, when a supplementary budget proposal was approved at a plenary session of the upper house of the Diet. The Japan Innovation Party, as well as the Liberal Democratic Party and the People’s Democratic Party, voted in favor of the bill.

The decisive factor was that the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Restoration Association had agreed on a policy of free education just before the Diet election. Although the Restoration Association suffered a heavy defeat in the lower house election, it still holds 38 seats, more than the 28 seats held by the National Democratic Party of Japan (NDP). In other words, the “partner” of the Liberal Democratic Party does not have to be the KDP. While discussing the 1.03 million yen barrier with the KDP, the cunning and craftiness of the LDP in secretly approaching the Restoration Party came out,” said a source in the political world.

In the future, the LDP government is expected to manage the government by dealing with the KDP, the Restoration Association, and the largest opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), in a fair or unfair manner, depending on the situation at any given time.

A reporter in charge of politics for a national newspaper commented

However, looking ahead to next summer’s Upper House election, the opposition parties will want to fulfill at least one of their promises, and they will probably end up looking to the autocrats. In the end, the opposition parties may end up trying to curry favor with the autocrats.

Tamaki, too, is a very enthusiastic person.

Tamaki, too, has been too eager.

Tamaki has also been too aggressive,” said a source in Nagata-cho.

Tamaki was clearly too excited about the situation,” said one Nagata-cho official. Tamaki was clearly elated. The political world had expected him to gradually raise the 1.03 million yen barrier and find a compromise somewhere along the line, but he was determined to push through with the 1.78 million yen. He should have used more (negotiating) techniques,” said a source in Nagata-cho.

If the annual income barrier were raised to 1.78 million yen, tax revenues of local governments, even more than those of large cities, would plummet, and in some cases, they might not be able to survive. This could have a negative impact on the “regional development” that Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has set as his “number one priority.

Treasury Department “treated as a culprit” based on speculation.

Tamaki’s opposition to the proposal was voiced by Yoichi Miyazawa, the chairman of the tax commission, who is known as a tax specialist, and Prime Minister Ishiba, who said that the proposal would “drive the regions crazy. They were wary that Tamaki would cause the local government to lose its mind.

Tamaki, whose knowledge had been lost, identified the Ministry of Finance as the “instigator” that brought the Liberal Democratic Party and the Restoration Party so close together, and on December 18 he posted the following on his X (formerly Twitter) page

The Ministry of Finance’s strategy was originally to “make contact with the relevant departments as soon as the new Restoration government is established,” “explore policies that can be included in the initial budget revision,” etc., and “make a deal with the party with the “cheapest” impact on the budget among the KDP, Restoration, and RPP. So, judging from the recent statements of the Restoration leaders, does this mean that they are ready to make a deal with the Restoration Party?

I wonder if they are planning to make a deal with the Restoration Party? In response, Yoshimura Hirofumi, a representative of the Restoration Association, said in an X

I am in favor of breaking through the 1,030,000 yen barrier. I think it would be better to refrain from speculation.

He complained, “I think it would be better if you refrain from speculation.

If you are serious about going all the way to the bottom of hell, and if you are willing to work together to achieve the goal of 1.78 million yen, then let’s discuss it. However, there will be no performance. We have our own commitments that we want to fulfill.

He gave the nail in the coffin. A reporter from the political section of a national newspaper said

In the debate over the 1.03 million yen barrier, the Ministry of Finance was inundated with slander from the beginning. In response, Tamaki put a stop to it at the press conference, saying, ‘I would like to have a constructive discussion based on data and figures, and I would like you to stop slander and conspiracy theories. This time, however, he is treating the Ministry of Finance as a “culprit” based on speculation. This is a sign that they are distraught.

Tamaki’s comments are a testament to his distraught state of mind.

Tamaki has been suspended from his post for three months until March 3 next year for his reported affair with a gravure idol. One theory is that the woman was interested in politics and consulted with Tamaki about it.

The most interesting question is what kind of “oral promises” she made to him. Some media outlets are trying to contact the woman.

A wide-ranging media source said, “Some media outlets are trying to contact the woman’s side. Will Tamaki’s “three days in the sun” really be the end of his story?