压力测试来了！石破茂还需闯过这一关

Group 1 - The article discusses the upcoming Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election on June 22, which is seen as a precursor to the national Diet's House of Councillors election in July [2][4] - Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is under scrutiny as it seeks to maintain its seats in the assembly, with recent polls showing a rise in Ishiba's approval ratings [4][5] - The election features a record number of candidates, with approximately 300 participants, surpassing the previous high of 271 candidates in 2021 [4] Group 2 - Key issues in the election include rising prices, the political scandal involving the LDP, and the government's response to aging and declining birth rates [5] - Ishiba has pledged to increase nominal GDP to 1,000 trillion yen by 2040 and aims for a 50% increase in average wages, which requires an annual growth rate of approximately 2.74% [7] - The government is also considering cash handouts to citizens to alleviate the impact of rising prices, particularly in response to soaring rice prices [8] Group 3 - The article highlights the challenges posed by U.S. tariffs on Japanese exports, particularly in the manufacturing sector, which has seen a decline in business confidence [9] - The confidence index for large enterprises has dropped to negative territory, with significant declines in the steel and automotive industries due to U.S. trade policies [9]