Streaming scandal hits front runner Koizumi in Japan PM race

Tokyo – A front runner in Japan’s leadership race was forced to apologise on Sept 26 after his campaign admitted trying to flood a popular live-streaming platform with flattering comments.

Mr Shinjiro Koizumi has routinely topped polls in the five-way contest to become head of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Japan’s fifth prime minister in as many years.

A victory by the 44-year-old would represent a generational change for the long-dominant LDP as it seeks to win back voters after a string of scandals and poor election results.

However, tabloid magazine Shukan Bunshun reported that an aide pressed other members of his campaign team and supporters to post messages of praise for Mr Koizumi on Niconico, a popular video-sharing site.

“I’ve been told that this email was sent to proliferate support for me, but some of the comments cited as examples went too far and were inappropriate,” Mr Koizumi told reporters on Sept 26.

He denied previously being aware of the message.

The email, Shukan Bunshun said, asked recipients to write that Mr Koizumi was “looking more mature” than before and express mock amazement at his rumoured role in convincing outgoing premier Shigeru Ishiba to step down.

Supporters were also urged to type “don’t lose to that opportunistic, fake conservative” – in what the magazine called an attempt to undermine the political principles of Mr Koizumi’s main rival in October’s party vote, the right-wing Sanae Takaichi.

“Had I been stronger and more dependable, the (aide) wouldn’t have worried this much and done any of this. I’m sorry,” Mr Koizumi said.

A hashtag was trending on social media platform X on Sept 26 calling on Mr Koizumi to “withdraw from the leadership race”.

Ms Takaichi, 64, was also not enjoying plain sailing before the vote after she said that foreigners had been kicking deer in her hometown Nara, a tourist hotspot.

Around 1,300 of the animals – believed to be divine – roam Nara’s large park and tourists can buy snacks to feed them, as well as deer-themed merchandise.

The rising numbers of foreigners, including immigrants and tourists, has emerged as a major issue in the LDP race, with all but one of the candidates vowing tough measures.

“To the best of our knowledge, we have not received any such reports (of tourists harming deer), nor have we personally witnessed any such incidents,” the Nara Deer Preservation Foundation told AFP on Sept 26.

“However, inappropriate behaviour by visitors, not limited to foreigners, such as throwing deer snacks or roughly shooing away deer gathering around them, has been observed,” it said in an email.

Ms Takaichi, who would be Japan’s first woman prime minister if she wins the Oct 4 party vote and wins support in Parliament, stuck to her guns.

“I confirmed it in my own way,” she told local media. AFP

JapanPolitics and governmentElections