Takaichi Corrects Diet Answers as Pressure Builds Over Alleged Smear Videos by Her Secretary
Prime Minister Takaichi faced mounting political pressure after acknowledging a correction to her Diet answers regarding reports that her public secretary was involved in posting defamatory videos on social media. The correction, revealed in Diet proceedings in June 2026, has intensified calls from opposition parties for the secretary to be summoned to testify. (fnn.jp)
Parliamentary correction and the admission
On June 10 the prime minister revised earlier testimony about a written reply attributed to her office that was cited in weekly magazine reports, saying the office’s answer should have been recognized as coming from her staff. The Liberal Democratic Party later notified the Diet that the earlier statement needed correction, a development that opposition lawmakers say undercuts the prime minister’s credibility. (news.livedoor.com)
Opposition demands secretary appear in the Diet
Opposition leaders have pressed for the prime minister’s public secretary to appear as a witness in committee to explain alleged contacts with a man who has said he produced and circulated negative videos. The main opposition party’s Diet affairs chief argued that a direct hearing of the secretary would be the quickest way to dispel doubts and restore public confidence. (fnn.jp)
Disputed audio and evolving explanations
The controversy deepened after a news outlet published audio that it said captured an online meeting involving a man who claimed responsibility for creating the videos and a person identified as a member of the prime minister’s office. The prime minister has told Diet panels she could not independently confirm whether the voice in the recording belonged to her secretary, a stance that opponents call evasive as the administration’s accounts have shifted. (newsdig.tbs.co.jp)
Procedural wrangling over committee time
Parliamentary scheduling has become a point of contention as parties negotiate the length and timing of concentrated Diet questioning of the prime minister and her office. The ruling party proposed a three-hour concentrated session in the lower-house budget committee on June 22, while some opposition groups pushed for a seven-hour hearing to allow more extensive questioning and the possible calling of the secretary as a witness. Those scheduling disputes reflect broader tension about how thoroughly the matter should be examined before key budget and legislative deadlines. (search.yahoo.co.jp)
Political fallout and questions of leadership
Opposition lawmakers have seized on the episode to question the prime minister’s fitness to lead, saying inconsistent explanations and the need to correct official testimony raise serious doubts about transparency and accountability. The ruling party has sought to contain the damage by offering procedural corrections and by resisting calls to summon the secretary immediately, arguing the matter should be handled within scheduled committee work. (news.tv-asahi.co.jp)
What to expect next
Parliamentary debate is likely to continue in the coming days as opposition parties press for fuller disclosures and additional witnesses are proposed. The administration faces a choice between consenting to a public hearing of the secretary or defending its handling of the reporting and the subsequent correction through closed party channels and scheduled committee time. The outcome will shape whether the episode becomes a lingering distraction or a contained procedural dispute.
The scope and tone of follow-up hearings, and whether independent evidence or testimony will corroborate the published audio, will determine whether the controversy inflicts longer-term damage on public trust in the prime minister’s office and affects the government’s legislative agenda.
