Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi told lawmakers she cannot rule out the possibility her camp commissioned smear videos but has no personal acquaintance with the creator [1].

The allegations strike at the heart of electoral integrity and government transparency. If a prime minister's campaign used deceptive digital content to undermine opponents, it could signal a shift toward more aggressive, unregulated disinformation in Japanese politics.

The issue surfaced following reports from Shukan Bunshun that Takaichi's camp commissioned videos to slander opposing candidates during previous leadership and general elections [2]. During a Diet session, Sakuya Uchikoshi, a member of the House of Councillors for the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, pressed the prime minister for accountability regarding these reports [1].

Uchikoshi said, "This matter is not merely a scandal" [1]. The lawmaker said that follow-up reports from Shukan Bunshun included voiceprint analysis suggesting that the audio in the videos likely belonged to the same individual [1].

Takaichi responded to the questioning by stating that she had received reports that she had no personal relationship with the video creator [1]. While she did not explicitly confirm or deny whether a request for the videos was made, she said, "I do not deny the possibility, but I have been reported that there is no personal acquaintance" [1].

Opposition members argued that the creation of such videos constitutes a fraudulent act during an election campaign. They continued to demand a full explanation of the camp's relationship with digital content creators, and the funding used for such materials [1, 2].

The prime minister's camp has not provided a detailed list of consultants or vendors involved in the production of digital media for the previous campaigns [2].

“"This matter is not merely a scandal"”

The refusal of the prime minister to definitively deny the commission of smear videos, while maintaining a lack of personal contact with the creator, suggests a 'firewall' strategy common in political campaigns. By utilizing third-party contractors for 'dark PR,' campaigns can attempt to distance the candidate from unethical tactics. This case highlights the growing tension in Japan between traditional political conduct and the rise of digital disinformation tools.