2025 POLLS: Ruling, Opposition Parties Battle over Inflation Relief

   Tokyo, July 7 (Jiji Press)--Support for households struggling with higher prices is the central issue in the campaigning for the July 20 election for Japan's House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament.
   Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's ruling coalition has proposed providing 20,000 yen in benefits per person, while opposition parties advocate a consumption tax cut.
   Critics warn that the plans from both sides are only short-term solutions that could end up undermining the long-term stability of state finances and social security.
   Ishiba's governing Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, Komeito, pledged to provide 20,000 yen in cash benefits to each person, with an additional 20,000 yen to children and low-income adults exempted from residential tax.
   Japanese companies raised wages by 5.25 pct on average, a 34-year high, this spring, according to a survey by the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, or Rengo. Still, inflation-adjusted real wages have declined year on year every month this year.

(2025/07/07-16:46)