Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's call for robust parliamentary debate itself is a right course to take, but without a clear vision for Japan's future, meaningful discussions will remain out of reach.

In his policy speech at an extraordinary Diet session, Ishiba pledged to "seek the broadest possible consensus" and emphasized his intention to listen to opposition voices. It's only natural for the prime minister to place importance on this process, as it reflects the core of parliamentary democracy -- finding common ground through the exchange of differing perspectives.

Ishiba opened his speech by quoting former Prime Minister Tanzan Ishibashi, a liberal leader, who in 1957 called for respecting opposition views even when the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) held a commanding majority. For Ishiba, who has been vocally critical of the LDP's past heavy-handed governance, the current ruling-opposition balance of power may serve as an opportunity to transform what has been one-sided political maneuvering.

However, Ishiba appears to be covering the vulnerability of his minority government by relying on alliances of convenience, such as with the Democratic Party for the People. This raises doubts about whether his administration can deliver debates focused on citizens' needs.

The speech also fell short on concrete solutions to the challenges Japan faces.

On foreign policy, Ishiba merely expressed a general intention to engage with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to safeguard mutual interests.

In economic policy, he echoed the approach of his predecessor, Fumio Kishida, advocating growth through wage hikes and investments. While he spoke of revitalizing Japan amid its population decline, his proposals were limited to doubling regional revitalization grants.

Amid global instability caused by two ongoing wars and Trump's return to the stage, Ishiba failed to present a vision for stabilizing Japan or contributing to international order.

This extraordinary Diet session is the direct outcome of the October general election which highlighted voter frustration with the money in politics issue, and yet Ishiba's reforms appear to have regressed. His approach to revising the Political Funds Control Act simply mirrored LDP proposals, such as abolishing political activity funds, while sidestepping the contentious issue of corporate and organizational donations -- a key demand of many opposition parties.

Rebuilding public trust in politics and navigating these turbulent times -- these are the responsibility of the prime minister in engaging in Diet debates.