Why did the Liberal-Democratic Party adopt pollution control and expanded social welfare policies in the 1970s?

In the 1970s, the Liberal-Democratic Party of Japan (LDP) adopted pollution control and expanded social welfare policies primarily as a strategic response to declining electoral support and the rising influence of opposition parties.12

During this period, the LDP faced growing public dissatisfaction regarding the negative consequences of rapid, unbridled industrial growth, including severe environmental degradation and pollution. Simultaneously, opposition parties—such as the Japan Socialist Party and the Japan Communist Party—gained traction by focusing on these urban issues and the needs of citizens who had been bypassed by the country's economic prosperity.1

To maintain its political hegemony and counter these electoral challenges, the LDP incorporated these central opposition platforms into its own policy agenda. This shift was notably exemplified by Prime Minister Tanaka Kakuei, who sought to address urban crowding and pollution by proposing a redistribution of industry across the Japanese islands. By adopting these measures, the LDP aimed to regain public favor and address the mounting social concerns that threatened its long-standing dominance in Japanese politics.231