Prime Minister Sanae Takahashi denied any approval or involvement regarding a cryptocurrency called "Sanae Token" during recent legislative sessions [1].
The controversy centers on whether the Prime Minister's name was used without authorization to lend legitimacy to a digital asset. If the Prime Minister were found to have sanctioned the token, it could trigger a crisis of political credibility and lead to legal scrutiny over financial disclosures.
During a House of Representatives budget committee session on June 22 [1], Takahashi said that neither she nor her office had approved the token. She said the claim that she was involved is false [1]. Takahashi said that the company's own website states that no approval was obtained from her office, adding that this is the truth [2].
However, the Prime Minister faced questioning from Rep. Goto (Centrist Reform Union). During a session on June 27, Goto questioned the timing of the Prime Minister's statements regarding her knowledge of the asset [2]. Goto said that the Prime Minister may have changed the contents of a statement to pretend she was unaware of the cryptocurrency as of Feb. 25 [2].
Parallel to the crypto dispute, the Prime Minister addressed the implementation of the deputy capital-related law, which was passed on June 24 [2]. The law allows for certain concurrent elections, but Takahashi said that conducting such elections would be "outrageous," and that she would refrain from doing so [2].
This stance contradicts goals expressed by Osaka Governor Yoshimura, who has stated a desire to aim for concurrent elections in the spring of next year [3]. The Prime Minister's refusal to align the election schedules adds a layer of political tension between the central government and regional leadership [2, 3].
“"We have never approved the token, nor has my office. The claim is false."”
The dual conflict over the Sanae Token and the deputy capital elections highlights a vulnerability in the Takahashi administration's image. While the Prime Minister maintains a strict distance from the cryptocurrency to avoid ethics violations, the opposing claims regarding her signature on approval documents suggest a potential for future legal challenges. Simultaneously, her rejection of concurrent elections signals a strategic effort to maintain control over the national political calendar, even at the risk of alienating powerful regional governors.
