Takaichi secretary audio: PM says voice “similar” but cannot confirm after Bunshun release
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on June 10, 2026, that the Takaichi secretary audio released by Shukan Bunshun “sounds similar” to her aide but that the secretary could not conclusively confirm the recording’s authenticity.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi faced questions in the Lower House on June 10 after weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun published audio it said captured an online meeting involving her local secretary and discussions linked to social media posts attacking other candidates in the LDP leadership race. Takaichi told the House Legal Affairs Committee she had asked the secretary to listen to the material and report back, and she relayed the aide’s tentative reaction that the voice “seemed similar” while expressing doubts because the recording appeared to be edited. The disclosure has intensified scrutiny of the circumstances around the alleged defamatory videos and renewed opposition calls for clearer confirmation.
Takaichi’s statement at the Lower House committee
Takaichi addressed the matter during a session of the House of Representatives’ Legal Affairs Committee, answering questions from opposition members about the published audio clip.
She said she personally had her local secretary listen to the audio and that she relayed his response to lawmakers, noting the aide’s uncertainty about whether the clip was his voice.
The prime minister did not explicitly confirm whether the meeting cited by Shukan Bunshun was the same online session her secretary had attended last year, leaving a gap in the public record that opposition parties immediately highlighted.
Lawmakers pressed for more direct steps to establish the audio’s provenance and to determine any link to the distribution of derogatory videos on social media.
Secretary’s reaction: ‘Similar but not certain’
According to Takaichi’s account, the secretary told her he thought the voice on the recording “resembled” his own but stopped short of asserting it was definitely him.
He cited heavy editing and the fragmentary nature of the clip as reasons he could not be certain of its authenticity.
That equivocal stance complicates the government’s position because a firm denial or admission from the secretary could either defuse the controversy or deepen it.
Opposition lawmakers have argued that the only way to resolve lingering doubts is for the secretary to confirm directly, under oath if necessary, whether he participated in the meeting and whether the voice is his.
Details of the alleged online meeting and company involvement
Takaichi told the committee the secretary had, last year, taken part in an online meeting introduced by a company that a trusted contact recommended.
She said the aide heard a presentation about a project described as a means to gather citizens’ opinions more broadly, but she did not say whether that presentation was the same session cited in the magazine report.
Shukan Bunshun presented the audio as material from an online conference in which participants discussed social media tactics and purportedly linked to posts defaming other candidates during the LDP presidential contest.
The prime minister’s response left open questions about who else attended the meeting, what was discussed in full, and the nature of the company that hosted the session.
Opposition reaction and demands for direct verification
Opposition parties seized on the prime minister’s account to press for a more definitive inquiry and direct testimony from the secretary.
Members argued that partial confirmations and descriptions read by the prime minister fall short of the transparency required in a matter involving public trust and possible improper influence on political competition.
Lawmakers from several opposition camps demanded that the secretary himself appear before a committee to answer questions about his participation and the content of any meetings, and some urged criminal or administrative probes if evidence of coordination in defamatory campaigns emerged.
The government has so far resisted calls for wider investigations, citing the need to verify facts carefully, but pressure is likely to persist as the controversy unfolds.
Earlier remarks and the paywall dispute over the audio
On June 5 during a session of the House of Councillors’ budget committee, Takaichi had already told lawmakers she felt “uneasy” about the audio clip published by Shukan Bunshun.
She recounted that her secretary was angered by the magazine’s presentation and questioned why he should pay to access the material—referring to the outlet’s paywall for members—when he had been asked to review the recording.
That exchange has become part of the broader narrative about access to the material and the perceived fairness of how the recording was released, but it does not resolve technical questions about editing, origin, or linkage to the alleged social media posts.
Analysts say establishing a clear chain of custody for the audio and conducting an independent verification would be critical steps to settle competing claims.
The coming days are likely to see renewed requests from opposition parties for direct testimony and possible committee votes to compel the secretary to appear, while Takaichi’s camp may continue to frame the matter as unresolved until firmer evidence is produced.
