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The Mainichi
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Colleagues of Japan local ex-councilor who died after online abuse set up fund for his kids
KOBE -- Colleagues of a former Hyogo Prefectural Assembly member, who died after being severely slandered on social media and elsewhere, have set up a fund to support his two children. Hideaki Takeuchi, then 50, passed away in January. He was a member of the assembly's special committee investigating power harassment and other allegations that Gov. Motohiko Saito and others were accused of in writing. A group of Takeuchi's fellow assembly members announced the establishment of the support fund on Aug. 18. Takeuchi's widow has filed a criminal complaint against Takashi Tachibana, head of the political group "NHK Party," on suspicion of defamation for disseminating false information. The fund has already launched a dedicated website and will accept donations until Nov. 18. Hyakuo Fujimoto, a prefectural assembly member of the Liberal Democratic Party, told a press conference on Aug. 18, "We hope that his children will grow up healthy and will be eager to study." (Japanese original by Yuria Kiyama, Kobe Bureau)
Yomiuri Shimbun
09-08-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Late Hyogo Prefectural Assembly Member's Wife Files Complaint Against NHK Party Leader; Tachibana Faces Claim of Defamation
The wife of a former Hyogo prefectural assembly member who died in January has filed a criminal complaint against NHK Party leader Takashi Tachibana, accusing him of defaming her late husband. The wife, 50, said at a press conference held in Kobe on Friday that the Hyogo prefectural police accepted her complaint in June. The police are currently investigating the case. Her late husband, Hideaki Takeuchi, was a member of the Hyogo prefectural assembly's committee probing a whistleblowing case involving Hyogo Gov. Motohiko Saito. A video showing Takeuchi harshly questioning Saito at the committee was shared on social media during the campaign period for the Hyogo Prefecture gubernational election between October and November last year, prompting a wave of slander against Takeuchi. Takeuchi resigned, citing personal reasons, the day after the election, in which Saito was reelected. Takeuchi died on Jan. 18 at the age of 50 in what is believed to have been a suicide. According to the complaint, Tachibana allegedly said, 'I have no doubt [Takeuchi] is under police investigation,' during a stump speech for Osaka Prefecture's Izumiotsu mayoral election on Dec. 13 and 14 last year. Tachibana was a candidate in the election. The day after Takeuchi died, Tachibana posted on X, '[Takeuchi] had continuously been undergoing voluntary questioning by the prefectural police.' He also stated in a video posted on YouTube, 'He's going to be arrested tomorrow.' The complaint said those remarks defamed Takeuchi. At the prefectural assembly on Jan. 20, Hyogo prefectural police chief Toshiyuki Murai denied the remarks made by Tachibana, calling them 'completely baseless.' Tachibana admitted the remarks were false, and the video has since been made unavailable. Under the law, the crime of defamation is established when a person is found to have used specific examples to damage someone else's reputation. Those found guilty face a prison sentence of up to 3 years or a fine of up to ¥500,000. The punishments can also apply to a person who intentionally defames a deceased individual with false claims. 'I would like to respond properly after I'm summoned by the police,' said Tachibana at a press conference on Friday.
The Mainichi
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Politicians focus on foreigners ahead of election: Our 5 most-read stories from last week
We've listed our five most read stories on The Mainichi news site, from top to bottom, that were published between July 5 and 13. The first story was viewed by 21.8% of our regular readers. (The Mainichi) NHK Party head Tachibana targets Black and Muslim groups in Japan as 'scary' KAKOGAWA, Hyogo -- House of Councillors election candidate Takashi Tachibana, leader of the political group NHK Party, made xenophobic remarks during a stump speech in this western Japan city July 4, saying, "It's scary when groups of Black and Muslim people hang out in front of train stations." Full story. Japan political parties pledging restrictions on foreigners with eye on conservative votes TOKYO -- As the July 20 House of Representatives election approaches, political parties in Japan have been proposing restrictions on accepting foreigners and stricter measures on dealing with them. Sanseito, which is proposing a "Japanese first" policy, has garnered support, and it appears that other conservative parties are also fishing for votes. While foreign workers are increasingly being accepted into Japan to make up for labor shortages, one expert warns that if exclusionism spreads, it could endanger democracy itself. Full story. 'Mom, who gave you these?' Foreigners in Japan with no status wish to work to exit poverty TOKYO -- In Japan's July 20 upper house election, a number of political parties have pledged restrictions and tighter measures for foreign nationals if they are voted in. Amid this situation, a foreign woman in Yokohama who has lost her residency status and now lives in poverty on "provisional release," expressed her wish to continue living in Japan, saying, "I want my sick child to receive due medical care." Full story. 46% of Japan workers who experienced 'gray zone harassment' considered quitting: poll TOKYO -- Have you ever witnessed someone at work start a preachy talk reminiscing about the "good ol' days" or offer unsolicited advice? Such behavior, while not qualifying as outright harassment, can cause discomfort, constituting "gray zone harassment." A recent survey by a private firm in Japan has shed light on how this behavior is gradually eroding a working environment. Full story. Japan sees marriage registration rush on first 'triple 7' day in 30 years TOKYO -- Japan saw a flurry of marriage registrations on July 7, which marked the first time in 30 years that the Japanese era, month and day all aligned with the number seven, with 2025 being the seventh year of Japan's current Reiwa era. Full story.
Tokyo Weekender
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Tokyo Weekender
NHK Party Leader Takashi Tachibana Calls Black and Muslim People ‘Scary'
Donning a MAGA cap and his trademark colorful suit, NHK Party leader Takashi Tachibana addressed a crowd in front of JR Kakogawa Station in Hyogo Prefecture on Friday. The controversial politician, who is running in the House of Councillors race for the Hyogo electoral district, started the stump speech by stating that he is 'afraid of foreigners.' He then added, 'You might not feel as much fear with white people.' List of Contents: Takashi Tachibana's Latest Controversial Remarks Foreigners 'Disrespect Japanese Culture' Says Conservative Party of Japan Leader Related Posts Takashi Tachibana's Latest Controversial Remarks Tachibana went on to say , 'It's scary when groups of Black people or people of Islamic background are gathered in front of the station. It's impossible to walk past at night when there are four or five them frolicking in front of you, and you don't know if they speak Japanese. The current law doesn't allow us to regulate them, so we can't tell them to go away.' Tachibana, who previously suggested that genocide is the solution to overpopulation and that 'we should just wipe out races that have babies like idiots,' was attacked in March, not by a foreigner, but a Japanese national. He was cut on his head and neck with a machete-like weapon, though his injuries were not serious. Suspect Shion M iyanishi , who was arrested at the scene, told the police he 'intended to kill' Tachibana. Foreigners 'Disrespect Japanese Culture' Says Conservative Party of Japan Leader Tachibana wasn't the only Japanese politician to voice controversial views about foreigners over the past few days. During a stump speech on Saturday, Naoki Hyakuta, leader of the minor right-wing opposition Conservative Party of Japan, said that foreign people 'disrespect Japanese culture, ignore the rules, assault Japanese people and steal their belongings. In northern Kanto you see many towns like this that are no-go zones. If we don't do something about it; Japan's public safety will be threatened.' The right-wing populist party Sanseito, meanwhile, has been gaining a lot of attention due to its 'Japanese First' approach. Speaking at the FCCJ last Thursday, leader Sohei Kamiya insisted that this approach was 'not based on xenophobia.' Responding to a question about immigration, he said, 'Our party is not in favor of accepting migrants to substitute for the drop in Japan's population,' adding, 'Please understand we're not intending to exclude foreign workers who are here legally. We just believe cheap foreign labor is not the right way.' Related Posts Foreign Residents Sue Japanese Government for Racial Profiling US Embassy Tweets About Suspected Racial Profiling in Japan Racism in Japan: A Conversation With Anthropology Professor John G. Russell
The Mainichi
05-07-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
NHK Party head Tachibana targets Black and Muslim groups in Japan as 'scary'
KAKOGAWA, Hyogo -- House of Councillors election candidate Takashi Tachibana, leader of the political group NHK Party, made xenophobic remarks during a stump speech in this western Japan city July 4, saying, "It's scary when groups of Black and Muslim people hang out in front of train stations." Tachibana, who is running in the July 20 upper house race for the Hyogo electoral district, began his speech by saying, "Six years ago, I was afraid of fee collectors for (public broadcaster) NHK. But recently, I am afraid of foreigners." He prefaced his statements with, "You might not feel as much fear with white people," and, "This may be considered discrimination." He continued, "If the government doesn't provide welfare to foreigners, they'll come attacking it without a doubt," and discussed his views on "the deterioration of public safety" as a backdrop to the emergence of "Japanese-first" public opinion. He concluded by saying, "I never used to have such an exclusionary feeling, but it has changed into a strong sentiment." (Mainichi)
