"After Copying AKB48 and Arashi, Again?"... Former NHK Member Rebrands as "NHK Party"

Takashi Tachibana, formerly of NHK and a leading figure opposing NHK. Personal account

A Japanese politician and YouTuber, formerly of the public broadcaster NHK, has changed his party's name to "NHK Party." The person in question is Takashi Tachibana (58), who harbors strong antagonism toward NHK. According to a report by the Sankei Shimbun on May 16, Tachibana, a former lawmaker currently active as a YouTuber, announced on X (formerly Twitter) on May 15 that he would change the names of his group and House of Councillors party from "The Party to Protect the People from NHK" to "NHK Party."

Since first being elected to the House of Councillors in 2019 as a member of "The Party to Protect the People from NHK," Tachibana has repeatedly changed the names of his party or organization, including to "The Party to Protect Our Citizens from NHK," "Arashi Party" (meaning "Storm Party"), "The Party Currently in Litigation with NHK for Violation of Article 72 of the Attorney Act," and "Politician Girls 48 Party." The name "NHK Party" was also used briefly in April 2022. "Arashi" means "storm" and is similar to the name of a popular Japanese idol group (which recently announced plans to retire), but there is no connection. "Politician Girls 48 Party" (Seijika Joshi 48 To) borrows its name from the Japanese idol group AKB48. While there is no actual affiliation, the party fielded a large number of young and attractive female candidates, akin to idols. Article 72 of the Attorney Act prohibits non-lawyers from handling legal affairs for compensation.

Takashi Tachibana's employee ID from his NHK days posted on his SNS

Takashi Tachibana resigned from NHK in 2005 after exposing alleged accounting fraud at NHK to the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun while working as an accountant at the broadcaster. He began his political career in 2013, serving as a member of the Funabashi City Council in 2015 and the Katsushika Ward Council in 2017. In 2019, he was elected as a proportional representative to the House of Councillors, but automatically lost his seat the same year after running in a Saitama by-election in October. Tachibana has frequently sparked controversy, such as campaigning in front of other candidates' homes, and on March 14, he was attacked with an axe by a man during a political rally in front of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in Tokyo. He continues to share his political views through his YouTube channel and maintains his criticism of NHK's method of collecting license fees.

Japanese media outlets and online commenters criticize Tachibana's actions, saying he engages in noise marketing to promote himself and his party, and that he trivializes politics.