日媒：高市早苗令日本民众郁闷

Core Viewpoint - The election of Sanna Takashita as Japan's first female Prime Minister has generated mixed feelings among the public, primarily due to concerns over rising prices and inadequate government responses to inflation [1] Economic Concerns - The national consumer price index increased by 3.0% year-on-year in November, marking 51 consecutive months of rising prices [1] - Real wages fell by 0.8% year-on-year in October, continuing a trend of negative growth for 10 months [1] - 73.1% of respondents in a social awareness survey identified "prices" as a sector expected to worsen, maintaining the top position for four consecutive years [1] Government Budget and Fiscal Policy - The supplementary budget for fiscal year 2025 totals 18.3 trillion yen (approximately 100 billion USD), with only 8.9 trillion yen allocated to address rising prices [1] - The remaining budget is primarily directed towards "crisis management investment," "growth investment," and enhancing defense and diplomatic capabilities [1] - Concerns over fiscal health have led to a decline in government bond prices and an increase in long-term interest rates [1] Defense and Foreign Policy - The Takashita administration is increasing defense spending in line with the previous U.S. administration's policies, aiming to raise the defense budget to 2% of GDP [1] - There is uncertainty regarding public support for tax increases to cover the substantial fiscal gap created by increased defense spending amid rising prices [1] - Tensions with China have escalated following Takashita's comments regarding Taiwan, with no signs of improvement in Japan-China relations [1]