Sanae Takaichi's Office Accused of Concealing Political Funds, "Secret Ledger" Reveals Unification Church Contradictions

On the 28th, Weekly Bunshun and Bunshun Online published an exclusive scoop alleging that Sanae Takaichi's office had concealed political fundraising party ticket purchases, revealing details from a "secret ledger" reportedly obtained from involved parties. This report contains information that contradicts Ms. Takaichi's past statements denying financial dealings with the Unification Church (Family Federation for World Peace and Unification), sending ripples through the political world.

According to the report, Ms. Takaichi's office allegedly purchased tickets for a party held in March 2019 by the "World Peace Federation Nara Prefectural Alliance," an affiliate organization of the Unification Church, but failed to publicly declare the financial transaction. In August 2022, Ms. Takaichi had categorically stated on her X (formerly Twitter) account regarding her relationship with the Unification Church, "No election support. No attendance at events. No financial dealings. There were also no records of our office arranging congratulatory telegrams."

Furthermore, the "secret ledger" reportedly indicates that an arrested company president purchased 540,000 yen worth of party tickets, which were also not recorded in the political funds report. The president is reported to have confessed to being instructed to "buy them." Suspicions have also emerged that these party ticket purchases were falsely declared as "donations" to enable tax deductions, thereby potentially "favoring constituents in her electoral district," which could constitute a violation of the Political Funds Control Act.

On social media, this report has sparked a flurry of harsh criticism against Ms. Takaichi, with comments such as "untrustworthy," "a completely corrupt liar," and "full of dust if you shake her." Many users view the existence of the "secret ledger" as strong physical evidence and are demanding accountability for the contradictions with her past denials and the alleged culture of concealment. This latest report has led to calls questioning Ms. Takaichi's political responsibility, and future developments are eagerly awaited.

The context

Sanae Takaichi: A prominent conservative politician within Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), often considered a potential future prime minister. She is known for her close ties to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Weekly Bunshun / Bunshun Online: A major Japanese weekly magazine and its online counterpart, renowned for its investigative journalism, particularly in exposing political scandals, celebrity affairs, and corruption. Its impactful reporting is sometimes referred to as the "Bunshun Cannon" (Bunshun-ho).

Unification Church (Family Federation for World Peace and Unification): A controversial religious organization. Its ties to Japanese politicians became a major national issue following the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July 2022. The assassin reportedly harbored a grudge against the Unification Church due to his mother's large donations, and believed Abe had close ties to the group. This incident led to intense public scrutiny and demands for transparency regarding politicians' connections to the organization, prompting many LDP members to deny or downplay their involvement.

Political Funds Control Act: Japanese legislation designed to ensure transparency and prevent corruption in political donations and expenditures, requiring political organizations to disclose their financial activities.

"Secret Ledger" (裏帳簿 urajōbo): Refers to unofficial or hidden accounting records kept to conceal financial transactions from public disclosure or legal scrutiny.

"Full of dust if you shake her" (叩けば埃まみれ): A Japanese idiom meaning that if one investigates a person or organization thoroughly, many negative or scandalous facts will be revealed.