Government replaces Chief Cabinet Secretary aide Mogi Tadashi after hotel-stay scandal
Government names Sasaki Keisuke as successor; Mogi admits staying with acquaintance during official METI trips, personnel change effective June 30, 2026.
The government announced on June 26, 2026 that Tadashi Mogi, a senior aide to the Chief Cabinet Secretary, will be replaced on June 30 amid revelations that he stayed with a female acquaintance during several government-paid business trips. The personnel move names Keisuke Sasaki, a senior official at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), as Mogi’s successor. The change follows reporting and internal METI inquiries into travel expenses and hotel stays tied to Mogi’s tenure at the ministry.
Government Announces Personnel Change
The Cabinet Office issued a personnel notice on June 26 stating that Mogi will be relieved of his duties as chief aide to Chief Cabinet Secretary and that Sasaki will assume the role on June 30, 2026. Officials described the move as an administrative reassignment and set the effective date for the transition at the end of the month. The announcement did not include a detailed explanation tying the personnel decision directly to the substance of the allegations.
Allegations Detail Five Hotel Stays During Official Trips
According to government disclosures, the conduct at issue dates to Mogi’s time at METI between May and September 2025. Investigators say Mogi stayed at a hotel with a woman known to him on five occasions while traveling on government-funded business, and on two of those occasions they registered as overnight guests. Records reviewed by METI allegedly showed bookings for a single occupant on those trips, with one stay on September 11, 2025 later requiring an additional fee that was not initially paid.
METI Inquiry and Payment Admission
METI investigators interviewed Mogi as part of an internal fact-finding process and reported that he acknowledged the hotel stays and subsequently paid the outstanding fee from his personal funds after media inquiries. Government statements indicated the ministry’s confirmation work was ongoing as of June 26, but officials flagged that the investigation had established those specific payment and booking details. The admission by Mogi formed part of the information that preceded the Cabinet Office’s personnel announcement.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara Declines to Link Cause and Effect
At a June 26 morning press briefing, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara declined to provide a specific reason for the personnel change when questioned by reporters. Kihara said he would refrain from commenting on the individual rationale for personnel decisions and noted that confirmation work with METI was still underway. He added that it was not yet the stage to determine whether further administrative action was necessary, leaving open the possibility of additional steps depending on the inquiry’s outcome.
Sasaki Keisuke Named as Successor
The government appointed Keisuke Sasaki, described in the personnel notice as a senior METI official, to take over as the Cabinet Secretary’s chief aide. Sasaki’s background at METI positions him as an experienced replacement familiar with the ministry’s operations and interagency coordination. The Cabinet Office indicated the move was intended to ensure continuity of operations in the Chief Cabinet Secretary’s office ahead of the transition on June 30.
Mogi’s Political Ties and Career Path
Tadashi Mogi served as a close aide to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi when she held a deputy ministerial post at METI, and he was considered a figure with proximity to the prime minister. He was named chief secretary to the Chief Cabinet Secretary following the formation of Takaichi’s administration in October 2025. That proximity to the prime minister and his subsequent elevation to a senior post in the Cabinet Office have made the allegations and the personnel shift politically sensitive within the government.
Political observers note that personnel moves in senior government offices are often measured against both administrative norms and public perception, particularly when questions about use of public funds are involved. The government’s limited public account of the reason for the replacement has prompted attention from opposition lawmakers and political commentators seeking fuller explanations.
Mogi has not been charged with any criminal wrongdoing as of the June 26 announcement, and METI’s internal review appears to have been administrative in scope. The Cabinet Office will monitor the results of METI’s confirmation work and any supplementary findings to determine whether further personnel or disciplinary measures are warranted.
The June 30 effective date for the change sets a firm timetable for Sasaki to assume responsibilities and for the Cabinet Office to present a final account of findings or follow-up actions if required. Observers say the coming days are likely to bring more detailed disclosures from METI and possibly additional questions from Diet members about internal controls over official travel and expense reporting.
