‘Prime Minister’s year-end party’ controversy swirls… even his son was scolded

In the Prime Minister’s Residence, the residence of Japan’s prime minister, it was later revealed that Prime Minister Kishida had taken photos of himself enjoying a private gathering with relatives.

He had previously sacked his eldest son, who was his secretary, for taking intimate photos at the official residence, and now found himself embroiled in a similar controversy.

Correspondent Park Won-ki in Tokyo reports.

[Report]

This photo was published in a Japanese weekly newspaper.

It shows Prime Minister Kishida and his wife, Yuko, dressed casually for a year-end gathering with about 10 relatives on 30 December last year.

The problem was that this was the “Prime Minister’s Residence토토사이트.

This means that while the Japanese prime minister lives there, it’s also a strictly public facility where he can hold office and receive guests.

Prime Minister Kishida acknowledged that the reports were true, but denied any improper behaviour.

[Fumio Kishida/Prime Minister of Japan: “I was present with my relatives in a private space. I don’t think there was any inappropriate behaviour in a public space.”]

Earlier, Kishida’s eldest son, Shotaro Kishida, who was the prime minister’s chief cabinet secretary, resigned on the 1st of this month after it was revealed that he had taken photos of the year-end party in his official capacity.

Under pressure from public opinion, Kishida was effectively relieved of his duties, and now the prime minister himself is on the chopping block for his relatives’ year-end party in Gongzhou, which took place on the same day.

The leader of the main opposition party also pointed to the successive leaks of photos taken in private at Gongzhou as a problem, saying they could be used for terrorism.

[Izumi Genta / Representative of the Constitutional Democratic Party: “It’s one thing to leak information, but I think it’s a big problem that the actual interior (of the prime minister’s official book) is being leaked in videos and photos.”]

Prime Minister Kishida has been criticised for being anachronistic since he hired his son as his chief secretary in October last year.

This time, it’s not just about his son, but about himself, and his political standing has been severely shaken.