Koizumi's Campaign Accused of Directing 'Praise Comments'
Evidence Emerges of Orders to Post Critical Comments About Rival
Immediate Apology Issued as Comment Controversy Grows
Shinjiro Koizumi, the younger son of former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and a leading candidate in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party presidential election, issued an immediate apology after it was revealed that his campaign team for the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister had requested 'positive comments' on an online video-sharing platform. On September 26, Japanese media outlets such as Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) and Fuji News Network (FNN) reported that, during a press conference held that day, Minister Koizumi apologized in response to related questions, stating, "I was not aware of this myself, but since it is related to the party leadership election, I sincerely apologize."
Shinjiro Koizumi, a leading candidate in the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election. Photo by AP Yonhap News
This incident was first reported by the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun. According to its report, the office of Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Karen Makishima, who serves as Koizumi's public relations chief, sent an email requesting people to post "positive comments" on the video-sharing site "Niconico Video." The email included 24 sample 'praise comments' about Minister Koizumi, such as "He is definitely the next leader," "Finally, the protagonist has appeared," and "He has taken on tough, unglamorous work and shed a layer." The email also sparked controversy by including critical comments that appeared to target Koizumi's rival, former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi, such as "Don't lose to the business pseudo-conservatives."
As the controversy spread, Minister Koizumi stated, "I heard it was meant to increase messages of support," adding, "There were excessive expressions in the reference comments, which were inappropriate." He further clarified that there was no intention to criticize other candidates. While explaining that the email was sent at the independent discretion of Representative Makishima's office, he emphasized, "Ultimately, I am responsible for what happened, so I will accept the criticism myself." He added that he would ensure such an incident would not happen again, pledging to "remain vigilant throughout the leadership election process."
As the controversy spread, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Koizumi stated, "I heard that it was intended to increase messages of support," and added, "There were excessive expressions in the reference example, which was inappropriate." Reuters Yonhap News
On October 4, the Liberal Democratic Party will hold its presidential election to select a successor to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Minister Koizumi and former Economic Security Minister Takaichi are considered the two leading candidates among the five contenders. In a recent telephone poll conducted independently by Nippon TV among Liberal Democratic Party members and associates, Minister Koizumi ranked first with a support rate of 32% (equivalent to 95 votes out of 295), while former Minister Takaichi came in second with 28% (83 votes). In contrast, a joint public opinion poll conducted by Sankei Shimbun and FNN on September 20-21 among 1,018 people aged 18 and older nationwide found that former Minister Takaichi led with 28.3%, ahead of Minister Koizumi's 25.7%.
Meanwhile, Minister Koizumi, a Japanese politician well-known in South Korea, became popular six years ago when a remark he made about climate change measures at an event in New York went viral as a meme. He earned the nickname "Punkulseksa" (Fun-Cool-Sexy) after stating, "Climate change measures should be fun and cool. And you should be sexy, too."
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