Japan parliament passes FY 2025 budget after rare revision

Ishiba's minority government enlists opposition to navigate difficult path

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba rises after the state budget for the fiscal year starting in April passed in the Diet with opposition support. (Photo by Yuki Nakao)

March 31, 2025 20:03 JST

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's parliament on Monday enacted a state budget for the next fiscal year after a rare upper house revision reflecting Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's decision to reverse course on a planned hike in medical costs, handing a hard-won victory to the minority government with less than a day remaining in the current fiscal year.

It is the first time under the country's current Constitution that a budget has been enacted after a revision was approved by the House of Councillors and then the House of Representatives. The total size of the fiscal 2025 budget came to a record 115.20 trillion yen ($770 billion).