Japan’s ruling party chief Sanae Takaichi said Thursday that if elected prime minister, she would immediately push for measures to ease the economic impact of rising living costs. “We must pass through parliament legislation to cut the gasoline tax and compile a supplementary budget. Otherwise, people will continue to suffer from the rising cost of living, which will hurt consumption, weigh on corporate profits, and hurt the economy,” she said. Takaichi emphasized that while the Bank of Japan sets monetary policy, its decisions should align with government goals. She noted that recent inflation has been driven by rising raw material costs rather than strong demand. On the yen, Takaichi said, “I don’t want to trigger excessive yen declines. But in general, there are pros and cons to a weak yen,” acknowledging that it helps manufacturers facing U.S. tariffs but raises import costs for households.