Tokyo International News Agency

The phrase '報道各位' ('To the Media' or 'To All Media Outlets') at the beginning of a statement released by Shinjiro Koizumi has caused a significant stir on social media (particularly X, formerly Twitter), becoming a trending topic. The statement was issued in response to a report by Shukan Bunshun Online concerning the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election. On October 1st, Koizumi released a statement refuting the content of the Shukan Bunshun Online article, calling it 'a deeply regrettable article that gives the impression of containing factual inaccuracies and could unfairly influence the LDP presidential election.' However, the fact that this statement was addressed to '報道各位' ('To the Media') drew a barrage of questions and criticism from numerous users. On X, comments poured in, questioning whether the address showed a disregard for accountability towards the public and party members. Examples included: 'Why 'To...

Shinjiro Koizumi, a member of the House of Representatives who announced his candidacy for the Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election, made his first post on the video-sharing platform TikTok with the aim of appealing to younger generations. However, the comment section quickly became "wildly chaotic." On social media, a barrage of scathing opinions such as "Please retire from politics for the sake of Japan" have emerged, highlighting severe evaluations of his popularity and political acumen. Koizumi held a press conference on September 20, stating his "determination to stand at the forefront and challenge the presidential election to rebuild the LDP." His subsequent debut on TikTok was seen as part of a strategy to penetrate the younger demographic, but the timing and choice of platform itself became targets of criticism. Comments such as "TikTok of all things at this timing?" and "It's laughable that a politician who sta...