Individuals who spread false info about Hyogo governor candidate referred to prosecutors
Hyogo Prefectural Police sent papers on the accused to prosecutors June 20. The opinions attached by the police on the handling of each individual have not been disclosed. The Kobe District Public Prosecutors Office will carefully determine whether criminal responsibility can be pursued.
Inamura, former mayor of Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, ran against Motohiko Saito in the November 2024 gubernatorial election, in which the latter was reelected. According to her support group, during the campaign period, false claims were posted on X, such as "Inamura is promoting foreign residents' voting rights." The support group filed a criminal complaint regarding these posts.
The prefectural police also sent prosecutors documents the same day accusing unspecified suspects of obstruction of business by deception over the freezing of an X account run by Inamura's support group due to alleged false reports.
(Japanese original by Yuta Shibayama and Yuria Kiyama, Kobe Bureau)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tokyo Reported
4 minutes ago
- Tokyo Reported
Ex-pop idol Kenshin Kamimura convicted of molesting interpreter in Hong Kong
HONG KONG (TR) – A court here has found former Japanese pop idol Kenshin Kamimura guilty of molesting a female interpreter after a fan event held earlier this year, reports Jiji Press (Aug. 13). On Wednesday, the court convicted Kamimura, a former member of One N' Only, of indecent assault and fined him 15,000 Hong Kong dollars (279,786 yen). The presiding magistrate said his behavior was 'patently a disrespect of women.' From the night of March 1 to early the next day, Kamimura repeatedly massaged one of the interpreter's thighs during a dinner that followed the fan event. He also invited her to go to a bathroom with him by showing her a message on his smartphone. Kamimura and the victim were not acquainted before the incident. The fan event was for his appearance in the television drama 'Our Youth.' On March 2, police arrested Kamimura. The following month, he pleaded not guilty at a hearing. Kamimura did not offer a defense in court about the incident. However, his lawyer argued that 'the venue was small, and it's possible that the act involved knee-to-knee contact.' Kenshin Kamimura (X) Also in attendance for the hearing on Wednesday were about 110 people, including fans from Japan and China. During the reading of the verdict, many of them could be heard crying. Talent agency Stardust Promotion Inc. announced the termination of Kamimura's contract after his arrest. The company said that he had undertaken 'a serious breach of compliance.' In 2015, Kamimura made his acting debut in the short film 'How is the Sky Over There?' He has since appeared in many television dramas. In 2018, he joined One N' Only. His departure from the group was announced at the same time as the termination of his contract.
Japan Today
34 minutes ago
- Japan Today
Japan eyes exporting used destroyers to Southeast Asia
Japan is considering the export of used Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyers to Southeast Asia, government sources said Wednesday, in an effort to strengthen security ties with countries in the region where key sea lanes are located. Japan has been studying the export of Abukuma-class ships to the Philippines following a June meeting in Singapore where the countries' defense ministers discussed the matter. Tokyo is also looking at Indonesia and Vietnam as possible export destinations, according to the sources. Japan's principles on the overseas transfer of defense equipment and technology restrict the export of lethal weapons under its war-renouncing Constitution. But Japan eased its strict rules on the overseas transfer of defense equipment last year to allow exports of lethal arms only if they are jointly developed or produced with other nations, with an eye on future sales of a next-generation fighter jet being developed with Britain and Italy. If the ship exports proceed, the Japanese government plans to classify the destroyers as "jointly developed" products by making specification changes, the sources said, a move that could spark controversy. According to the Defense Ministry, six Abukuma-class destroyers were commissioned between 1989 and 1993, and all are set to be retired and replaced by new types operable by smaller crews, as the Self-Defense Forces have been struggling with a chronic personnel shortage. In its Defense Buildup Program drawn up in 2022, the government said it will "decommission vessels that have been in service for a considerable amount of years and have limitations in expandability" at an "early date," and consider their transfer to "like-minded countries." Japan agreed with Indonesia at their defense ministers' talks in January to establish a working-level consultation body on maritime security to strengthen cooperation, while also promoting defense exchanges with Vietnam, including the provision of used Japanese material transport vehicles. Japan and the Philippines, both U.S. allies in Asia, have been deepening security cooperation, sharing concerns over China's assertive maritime posture in the East and South China seas. © KYODO
an hour ago
Ishiba Cabinet Approval Rises to 27.3 Pct: Jiji Press Poll
News from Japan Politics Aug 14, 2025 15:29 (JST) Tokyo, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)--The public approval rate for Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's cabinet increased 6.5 percentage points month on month to 27.3 pct, a Jiji Press opinion poll for August showed Thursday. The disapproval rate fell 5.4 points to 49.6 pct. When asked whether Ishiba, also president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, should resign to take responsibility for its major setback in last month's House of Councillors election, 39.9 pct of the respondents said that they do not think so, slightly outpacing the 36.9 pct who said that they think so. Among supporters of the LDP, 65.9 pct said they think Ishiba should not step down, against 24.6 pct who think he should quit. Some in the LDP called for Ishiba to resign after the party took a drubbing in the July 20 election for the upper chamber of Japan's parliament. The interview survey, conducted over four days through Monday, covered 2,000 people aged 18 or over in Japan. Valid responses came from 56.9 pct. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
