This essay, dated March 10, 2019, argues that the Constitutional Democratic Party is essentially an extension and purified continuation of the Kan cabinet, given that its core leadership overlaps with that failed administration.
It sharply criticizes the party’s cooperation with the Social Democratic Party and the Communist Party, the contradiction in Yukio Edano’s self-professed conservatism, and the entrenched opposition mentality that contributes nothing to the national interest.

2019-03-10
Mr. Edano likes to call himself a conservative, but what kind of conservatism is it to join hands with the Social Democratic Party and the Communist Party, both of which claim that the Self-Defense Forces are unconstitutional?

What follows is a continuation of the previous chapter.
The purification of the Kan cabinet equals the Constitutional Democratic Party.
Now then, that very Kan cabinet has revived as the leading opposition party.
The principal members of the Constitutional Democratic Party are the very same people who were at the core of the Kan cabinet, which symbolized failure.
Mr. Kan has settled into the position of the party’s supreme adviser.
Mr. Edano, who was Chief Cabinet Secretary in the Kan cabinet, is its leader.
Mr. Tetsuro Fukuyama, who was Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, is Secretary-General.
Ms. Kiyomi Tsujimoto, who was Special Adviser to the Prime Minister, is Chair of Diet Affairs.
That is the reality.
When the Kan cabinet was launched, Prime Minister Abe called it “an extremely insidious left-wing administration,” and it can be said that the Constitutional Democratic Party is the Kan cabinet made even purer, and tilted even further to the left, aided also by the ease of being in opposition.
As proof of this, the Constitutional Democratic Party formed a unified parliamentary group with the Social Democratic Party in the House of Councillors.
In the summer Upper House election, it was also set to cooperate with the Communist Party.
Mr. Edano likes to call himself a conservative, but what kind of conservatism is it to join hands with the Social Democratic Party and the Communist Party, both of which insist that the Self-Defense Forces are unconstitutional?
If the Constitutional Democratic Party becomes one with the Social Democratic Party, that is nothing other than the resurrection of the former Socialist Party.
Even if it raises Socialist-style policies such as anti-nuclear power, shouts opposition to everything the government does, and devotes itself only to the pursuit of scandals, it will attract neither the people’s expectations nor their interest, and will never be able to return to power.
And yet, within the Constitutional Democratic Party, where it is said that “Edano overwhelmingly dominates,” such observations have spread as, “Mr. Edano is a little mountain king.
Perhaps he finds that comfortable,” and, “Edano and his close aides decide everything.
Perhaps Edano thinks the present situation is just fine.”
Certainly, it must be easy to rule the party as the dictator of the perennial leading opposition party and simply continue criticizing the government and the ruling bloc.
But such an opposition contributes nothing to the national interest.
Japan has no need for the ghost of the Kan cabinet, living on members’ salaries and various allowances funded by the people’s taxes.