Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is facing a censure as well as a no-confidence motion against his Cabinet over his proposal to raise the consumption tax.
Six Opposition parties submitted a no-confidence motion against Noda's Cabinet to the Lower House of the Diet (Parliament), while seven Opposition groups brought a censure motion against the Prime Minister in the Opposition-controlled Upper House on Tuesday.
They said most of the Japanese people were opposed to hiking the consumption tax, and the Noda Cabinet's attempts to push it through the Diet violated the ruling Democratic Party of Japan's (DPJ) own 2009 election pledge. They took Noda to task for continuing to turn his back on the public.
At a joint news conference, Your Party Secretary-General Kenji Eda said the no-confidence motion must be given priority over all other discussions in the Diet. He said the parties were seeking support from as many lawmakers as possible to have the motion adopted.
Even if all the Opposition parties, including the Liberal Democrats and New Komeito, support the no-confidence motion, it will not pass in the Lower House, where the DPJ is having a majority. However, if more than 15 Democrats also support it, the motion will pass the Chamber, Japanese media reported.
The tax bills are a product of the agreement reached in June among the DPJ the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and New Komeito on amending bills for social security and tax reform. It remains to be seen whether the LDP will submit its own no-confidence motion against Noda's Cabinet to the Lower House.
New Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi has voiced opposition to submitting such motions before a vote on the tax bills.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.