Japanese Minister Seeks Rise in Taxes

TOKYO—Japan's new finance minister said he will push to increase taxes on high earners, not just to raise revenue but to narrow the country's income inequality.

"I believe we are at a stage where a little bit of egalitarian thinking… should guide our tax policy," Yoshihiko Noda said Wednesday in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. "In that sense, our tax reform will be designed with an eye toward restoring its income-redistribution function."

While Prime Minister Naoto Kan and his aides have talked openly about raising the consumption tax, Mr. Noda's added focus on income taxes suggests a more ...

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