Originally published on July 8, 2019.
This passage details President Trump’s sincere attitude during his meeting with the families of the abduction victims, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s determination regarding negotiations with North Korea, and the major political issues surrounding the Upper House election, opposition coordination, the consumption tax increase, and constitutional revision.
Along with the unseen efforts being made to resolve the abduction issue, it clearly presents the political questions that should be put before the Japanese people as matters that will shape the nation’s future.

2019-07-08
Yes.
On that occasion, President Trump—this had not been scheduled—carefully and in detail asked each family member about the circumstances of the abduction.
The following is a continuation of the previous chapter.
At the Meeting with the Families of the Abduction Victims
Sakurai
When President Trump visited Japan recently, a second opportunity was arranged for him to meet with the families of the abduction victims, was it not.
Abe
Yes.
On that occasion, President Trump—this had not been scheduled—carefully and in detail asked each family member about the circumstances of the abduction.
When Sakie Yokota said, “I want somehow to see my daughter just once,” the President replied, “You will definitely be able to see her.”
When Keiko Arimoto’s father, Akihiro Arimoto, was expressing his own thoughts and said, “There is one more thing I absolutely must say,” the staff, because of time constraints for the meeting as a whole, tried to stop him by saying, “We are very tight on time, so perhaps another time.”
At that point, however, the President urged Mr. Arimoto on, saying, “This is an important opportunity, so please go ahead and say it.”
After Mr. Arimoto finished expressing his thoughts, he said at the end to the President, “I have written a letter, so please read it later.
I handed it over earlier.”
The President then asked, “Whom did you give it to?”
He said, “If you only hand it over like that, it will not reach me,” and had the staff member who had received it bring the letter to him.
Then, after confirming with Mr. Arimoto, “This is it, correct,” he handed it back once more to the staff and instructed, “Be sure to place this on my desk in the White House.”
He then told Mr. Arimoto, “It is all right, I will definitely read it.”
Sakurai
This is the first time I have heard that story.
I am deeply moved.
Abe
I believe this shows how seriously President Trump is facing the abduction issue.
Sakurai
When you stated your determination to enter talks without conditions, there were voices criticizing you by saying that you had “changed your position.”
But it is fair to think that there was a background in which Mr. Trump had certainly conveyed your feelings to Chairman Kim Jong Un, and Chairman Kim also understood your thinking.
That is precisely why you were able to declare your determination to meet without conditions.
In response, North Korea has issued statements saying things such as “the Abe clique that keeps saying this and that is shameless,” but do you believe there is no need to be swayed one way or another by such remarks.
Abe
I would like to refrain from commenting one by one on North Korea’s reactions.
In any case, however, we intend to act decisively with the strong determination not to miss any opportunity.
Naturally, unless talks are ultimately held, the abduction issue too will not be resolved.
Thus, just as Mr. Takeo Fukuda once described negotiations with China as “a duck paddling underwater,” we too are making desperate efforts that cannot be seen above the surface.
A Nightmare-Like Democratic Party Administration
Sakurai
The House of Councillors election is scheduled for July.
It has been reported that the opposition parties have unified their candidates in a total of thirty of the nation’s thirty-two single-seat districts.
How will the Liberal Democratic Party fight the Upper House election.
Abe
I believe the opposition parties will move toward unifying their candidates.
If it becomes a one-on-one contest, it will not be an easy election, and so we must brace ourselves and fight it through with great seriousness.
However, I have a simple question.
The opposition parties are saying they will unify even including the Communist Party, are they not.
If that is the case, then in places such as Tottori-Shimane, Tokushima-Kochi, and Fukui, for example, only Communist Party candidates will run.
The Constitutional Democratic Party and the Democratic Party for the People will both say, “Bring down the Abe administration,” “Bring down the LDP-Komeito administration,” and urge people to vote for Communist Party candidates.
That means they are not giving those who wish to vote for the Constitutional Democratic Party or the Democratic Party for the People that opportunity.
If they make such a decision, they must bear responsibility for it.
And what is that responsibility.
If they should win a majority, naturally the political situation would become unstable.
I would ask people to remember that after the Upper House election twelve years ago, a divided Diet emerged, and eventually that nightmare-like Democratic Party administration was born.
Then, are they prepared to form a responsible political structure together with the Communist Party.
To field unified candidates without touching at all on such matters strikes me as far too irresponsible.
Roi
It is indeed extremely irresponsible.
But even so, the opposition may field unified candidates simply out of hatred for Abe, and the public may support them.
It was precisely because it is crucial to prevent such a thing from happening that speculation had been mounting that you might hold a double election for both houses.
Abe
No, no（笑）.
Sakurai
You are not even slightly considering a double election.
Abe
I am not considering it in the slightest.
Sakurai
Not even at the edge of your mind.
Abe
Not even at the edge of my mind（笑）.
What has been decided is the House of Councillors election in July, and I intend to focus on that.
What to Put Before the People in the Upper House Election
Sakurai
In an election, various matters are presented as points at issue.
There is also a view that you may postpone the consumption tax increase and go into the election that way.
Abe
The raising of the consumption tax is absolutely necessary in order to secure stable financial resources for measures against the declining birthrate and for social security, with a view to building an all-generation social security system.
Unless there is an event on the scale of the Lehman Shock, we plan to proceed with the increase, and I respectfully ask for the understanding and cooperation of the people.
Sakurai
And what about constitutional revision.
Abe
The Liberal Democratic Party has already presented an image of constitutional revision in the form of the “four items for constitutional amendment.”
Constitutional revision can be proposed in the Diet by obtaining a two-thirds majority in both houses.
Then, in the end, the people make the decision in a national referendum.
We will make efforts to exceed two-thirds in the Diet and work so that the people may render their judgment.
As for the specific timing of a national referendum, it should not be schedule-driven.
First of all, I would like to see proper discussion take place in the Commission on the Constitution.
Sakurai
However, the Commission on the Constitution has fallen into a stalemate.
Even Kiyomi Tsujimoto of the Constitutional Democratic Party kept putting it off by saying, “Next time, next time,” and was finally cornered into a situation in which the Constitutional Democratic Party had no choice but to respond to discussions in the Commission on the Constitution.
Nevertheless, in the end, party leader Yukio Edano overturned the table and refused deliberations.
They prevent a national referendum in which the people exercise their sovereignty, and yet what kind of constitutionalism is that, what kind of democracy is that.
To refuse to debate and to prevent debate is no different at all from one-party rule by the Chinese Communist Party.
Abe
What will be asked in the Upper House election is this:
“Will the people choose political parties and candidates who properly engage in debate before the public, or will they choose political parties and candidates who do not engage in debate at all?”
Differences of opinion regarding what exactly should be revised are unavoidable.
Precisely for that reason, however, should there not be debate.
What is to be made of a posture that refuses even to debate.
This is a point I very much wish to put before the people.
To be continued.