The four candidates in the Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election are evenly split over the introduction of a legal framework to enable lockdowns as part of measures to combat the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking Thursday during a policy debate that featured an online audience, administrative and regulatory reform minister Taro Kono said such a legal change "must be thoroughly considered." Kono also suggested relief payments should be paid swiftly and at a necessary level should a lockdown be implemented.
Kono's view was shared by former Internal Affairs and Communication Minister Sanae Takaichi, who said such laws "must be put in place" to prepare for the emergence of new virus variants and other developments. Takaichi also said a team comprised of members from ruling and opposition parties should swiftly be established to start drawing up such a legal framework.
The two other candidates -- former LDP Policy Research Council Chairperson Fumio Kishida and Seiko Noda, the LDP executive acting secretary general -- were less enthusiastic about taking such a step.
Kishida said lockdowns that came with penalties for people who violated the rules, such as those enforced in the United States, Europe and elsewhere, were "unsuitable for Japan."
"I'd like to think about law changes that would lead to a reduction in the number of people moving around," he said.
Noda did not directly answer the question about lockdowns, but said she wanted to "prevent infections from developing into severe cases through greater efforts focused on early detection and early treatment." Noda called for setting up temporary hospitals to treat coronavirus patients whose symptoms are not severe.
Many experts and opposition parties support adding lockdowns to the nation's coronavirus response toolbox. However, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has been skeptical. "Lockdowns are not a decisive factor in infection prevention measures," Suga has said.
Thursday's debate was the election's first official campaign event with an online audience, comprising members of the public and the LDP, who were able to submit questions to the candidates. Such events are being held as candidates have canceled campaign visits to regional areas due to the coronavirus pandemic.
-- Fiscal spending
A key issue in the race will be economic revitalization policies to ease the public's anxieties amid the pandemic.
All four candidates favor an approach focused on increased public spending, but there have been no deep discussions on how to secure the financial resources for this in the medium to long term.
Takaichi has pledged to freeze the government's goal of putting the primary balance -- the overall fiscal balance excluding net interest payments on public debt -- into the black until annual inflation reaches 2%.
During Thursday's debate, Takaichi said, "I am considering bold fiscal stimulus measures. I'll work on compiling a supplementary budget before the end of this year."
Under the Abenomics economic policy package implemented by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the Bank of Japan conducted monetary easing and the government pushed ahead with fiscal stimulus measures and a growth strategy in a bid to lift the economy out of deflation and raise inflation to 2%.
The government sought to achieve fiscal reconstruction through higher economic growth. All these elements are yet to run their full course, but the coronavirus pandemic has pushed the targets further away.
Kishida, Kono and Noda largely agree on the need to tweak the Abenomics policies, but they stand with Takaichi on the issue of boosting government spending.
Kishida said, "We have to rely on public finances in a growing number of situations, but we have to make sure the economy grows."
"We must increase public spending because of the coronavirus pandemic," Kono said.
Meanwhile, Noda said, "We must maintain fiscal discipline, but I will be flexible and do what needs to be done at the time."
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