The budget committee of Japan's House of Representatives began its sessions on the 27th to discuss the proposed initial budget for FY 2026. The administration under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi aims for the budget to be passed within this fiscal year. However, achieving this goal would require a significant reduction in the time allocated for deliberations, breaking past conventions. Constitutional scholar Kenji Ishikawa from the University of Tokyo expressed concern that such a stance by the government would fundamentally undermine the principle of constitutionalism, which requires that the parliament, as the representative of the people, must decide on the government's budget, which is financed by taxpayer money.

The issue with reducing debate time on the budget, which would typically take about two months, is that shortening it to just one month risks diluting this critical principle of constitutional democracy. Ishikawa pointed out that it may lead to undesirable precedents in the government's handling of financial matters, emphasizing that the fiscal rules play an essential role in maintaining constitutional control over military power, raising concerns about the future conduct of the government.

While some members of the ruling party argue that previous budgets have included numerous discussions regarding scandals unrelated to the budget, suggesting that eliminating these could still allow for adequate deliberation time, Ishikawa's remarks aim to highlight the importance of maintaining the integrity of the legislative process to ensure accountability and transparency in governance. His warnings raise critical questions about the balance between expediency in government functioning and adherence to democratic principles, which must be upheld to protect the interests of the citizenry and constitutional governance.