TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Wednesday rejected a proposal by a major opposition party to remove the consumption tax on food items for one year, aimed at cushioning the impact of inflation and higher U.S. tariffs.

Amid calls to reduce tax burdens, including from within the ruling coalition, Ishiba said he will "examine in detail" proposals from other parties, including one from the Komeito party, the junior coalition partner of his Liberal Democratic Party.

The major opposition, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said last week that it is pushing to scrap the consumption tax on food items for one year.

The decision was made under CDPJ chief Yoshihiko Noda, who served as prime minister from 2011 to 2012 and laid the groundwork for tax hikes to address rising social security costs. Ahead of this summer's House of Councillors election, Komeito is not ruling out a reduction in the consumption tax on food items.

"If we go with a one-year consumption tax cut, this raises the questions of whether it is feasible for business owners to adjust their systems twice in such a short period, and how the required costs will be shouldered," Ishiba told reporters during his visit to the Philippine capital of Manila.

While low-income households should receive the most assistance in riding out the ongoing cost of living crisis, a tax cut for food items would be universal, benefiting high-income earners, he said.

Ishiba has expressed caution about reducing the consumption tax rate. He ruled out drawing up new economic measures "at this point," following the government's announcement last week of subsidies to lower utility costs and gasoline prices.

Japan's consumption tax is set at 10 percent, though the rate for food and beverages is set at 8 percent.

Japan has one of the world's fastest-aging societies and the worst fiscal health among developed nations. The most recent consumption tax hike came in 2019.

After the country's Golden Week holiday period ends in early May, the LDP and Komeito are scheduled to begin discussions on tax cuts and other measures that could go into a new economic package to be compiled around June.