PM Takaichi will own this temporary tax cut but it won't do much to win the hearts of voters. It will however make people quite angry when it is raised again: Japan's planned food tax cut faces consumer, retailer skepticism. The war in the Middle East gave the Takaichi Cabinet an off ramp for this tax cut. But they didn't think of a creative way to use it. Now I can only see the approval rating for the government falling further. It's an own goal.