Ahead of G7, Japanese Prime Minister's Secretary Makes Homophobic Remarks... "Outdated Talk"

Secretary Who Caused Trouble Quickly Dismissed
Swift Damage Control Amid G7 and Approval Rating Slump

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida swiftly dismissed former Prime Minister’s secretary Masayoshi Arai, who sparked controversy with anti-LGBTQ remarks, issued a direct apology, and instructed the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to review legislation to promote understanding of sexual minorities (LGBTQ). With foreign media from the U.S. and Europe continuously reporting on the secretary’s remarks, this unusually rapid response appears to be influenced by concerns over the upcoming G7 summit scheduled for May and approval rating issues.

According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) on the 7th, Prime Minister Kishida apologized for the Arai incident at a party-government meeting the previous day and, mindful of international public opinion, instructed LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi to "proceed with reviewing legislation to promote understanding of sexual minorities." Secretary-General Motegi later met with LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Hagiuda and others at the party headquarters to discuss the legislative response.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The incident occurred on the 3rd. When asked about same-sex marriage during a meeting with reporters, former secretary Arai responded, "It’s a minus. All the secretaries oppose it. I don’t even want them living next door," adding, "If the state allows same-sex marriage, there will be people who abandon the country." These remarks quickly spread and sparked controversy.

As public opinion rapidly worsened, Prime Minister Kishida immediately dismissed former secretary Arai the next day and appointed a successor. Japanese media analyzed this decision as an unusually swift move. Previously, those who resigned from the cabinet were given at least an opportunity to explain themselves by attending the Diet. Moreover, Arai had worked alongside Kishida since the start of his term, handling speechwriting, so the decision to dismiss him within a day is interpreted as reflecting Kishida’s strong resolve.

The reason for Kishida’s urgent response is believed to be the G7 summit. Japan will chair the G7 meeting held in May, which will take place in Hiroshima, Kishida’s hometown, with themes of anti-war and peace. Nikkei pointed out, "Anti-LGBTQ remarks in such a context effectively damage the dignity of the host country."

Last year, the G7 issued a joint statement affirming "the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women and sexual minorities with all diversities in political, economic, and other social fields." However, Japan is the only G7 country where same-sex marriage is not legalized. According to Asahi Shimbun, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno criticized the remarks after receiving a report from Kishida on Arai’s conduct, calling it "outrageous."

Kishida’s administration is expected to face a further decline in approval ratings. Already struggling with low support, the cabinet now faces additional risks due to this incident. In fact, a public opinion poll released the previous day by JNN, a TBS network affiliate, showed opposition to Kishida’s cabinet rose by 2.8 percentage points from the previous month to 62.2%, marking the highest opposition since the administration’s inception. Although Kishida reshuffled the cabinet in August last year, replacing 14 of 19 ministers, resignations continued due to issues such as the Unification Church and verbal gaffes. The cabinet risk has reemerged less than three months after the dismissal of former Minister of Reconstruction Kenya Akiba at the end of December.

Despite Kishida’s swift response, the situation is unlikely to calm easily. There is opposition within the LDP itself to the legislation, and the opposition parties are launching fierce attacks in the Budget Committee. The previous day, opposition lawmakers staged a mass walkout during the committee session. Jun Azumi, the Diet Policy Committee Chair of the Constitutional Democratic Party, criticized, "Japan, as the G7 chair country, has shown the world that it is completely behind the times on the issue of same-sex marriage."

Japanese media express concern that Japan’s low gender equality index may be exposed ahead of the international conference. Asahi Shimbun criticized, "While diversity is demanded, the gender gap in Japan is particularly large in the political field. In the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index, Japan ranks 139th out of 146 countries," adding, "In the Kishida administration, all eight secretaries supporting the prime minister and other close officials are male."