Tokyo International News Agency

On March 30, 2026, in the House of Councillors Budget Committee, Noriko Ishigaki of the Constitutional Democratic Party engaged Prime Minister Takaichi in a sharp line of questioning regarding her conduct and attitude towards parliamentary deliberation. Particular attention was drawn to questions concerning Prime Minister Takaichi's behavior when she saw a photograph bearing former President Biden's autopen signature during a visit to the White House. Ms. Ishigaki pointed out the possibility that Prime Minister Takaichi was perceived internationally as having pointed at the photo and laughed, expressing concern that this could appear as "an act of complicity with unjust disparagement." In response, Prime Minister Takaichi stated that she was surprised by the photograph featuring an autopen, describing it as "unbelievable." While denying that she laughed intentionally, she added, "It would be regrettable if it were perceived that way." Furthermore, ...

In the Diet, Renho of the Constitutional Democratic Party vigorously questioned Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding the “TM Special Report,” an internal document of the former Unification Church (Family Federation for World Peace and Unification). Renho pointed out that Minister Takaichi’s name appeared 32 times in the document and demanded that the Liberal Democratic Party unequivocally state it would never again maintain ties with the former Unification Church. In response, Minister Takaichi described the “TM Special Report” as a “South Korean document,” indicating that the government was “not considering analyzing it as an official government duty.” She further stated that she had only had the sections mentioning her name translated, clearly demonstrating her stance against a full investigation of the entire document. This line of questioning, conducted in the Diet’s Budget Committee, stirred mixed reactions on social media regarding its content and timing. Many users criticized Renho...