Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi told the House of Representatives Budget Committee that she has not confirmed audio recordings alleging a smear campaign.
The controversy centers on whether Takaichi's camp coordinated the creation of videos to disparage other candidates during last year's Liberal Democratic Party leadership election. If proven, the allegations suggest a systematic effort to manipulate public perception through negative campaigning.
Bunshun Online published audio on June 3, 2024 [2], which reportedly captures interactions between a public secretary—believed to be Secretary Kinoshita—and a video creator. According to the report, there were 67 exchanges between the secretary and the creator [2].
During the committee session, Rep. Shinichi Isa of the Center for Democratic Reform questioned the Prime Minister about the authenticity of the audio. Isa asked if the Prime Minister had verified whether the voice in the recording belonged to Secretary Kinoshita [2].
Takaichi said she could not confirm the content and said there were no records of such activities [1]. When addressing the specific report from Bunshun Online, Takaichi said, "This is a paid membership-only online service" [2].
The Prime Minister said that the claims found in the magazine articles could not be verified and that no internal records exist to support the allegations [1]. This contradicts the reporting by Bunshun, which asserts that the 67 messages provide evidence of a coordinated effort to damage the reputations of political rivals [2].
The incident has reignited a debate over the ethics of digital campaigning in Japan and the transparency of the Prime Minister's inner circle.
“"This is a paid membership-only online service"”
The clash between the Prime Minister's denial and the specific evidence presented by Bunshun Online creates a credibility gap that political opponents are likely to exploit. By attributing the lack of verification to the paywall of the publication, Takaichi is attempting to distance herself from the evidence without directly refuting the existence of the audio. This situation highlights the increasing role of digital forensic evidence and investigative journalism in challenging the official narratives of the Japanese government.
