Tokyo International News Agency

On April 15, the Osaka Regional Taxation Bureau announced and profoundly apologized to the public after a male employee in his 20s leaked a total of 259 taxpayer records externally via LINE, following instructions from someone impersonating a police officer. This incident has drawn severe criticism from various quarters, as it significantly undermines trust in tax administration. According to the Taxation Bureau's announcement, the incident occurred on April 13. The employee received a call on his personal smartphone from an individual claiming to be an officer with the Chiba Prefectural Police. The caller stated the employee's full name and informed him he was suspected in a case. Distraught, the employee, in an attempt to prove his innocence, followed the caller's instructions. He photographed 259 documents—179 individual taxpayer records and 80 corporate taxpayer records—displayed on his work computer screen with his camera and sent them through LINE. The employee stated...

The trend " #勝手に処分 " (arbitrary disposal) has surged on social media, unleashing a torrent of public anger and questions regarding the negligent management and unilateral disposal of seized items by public institutions. At the heart of this controversy is the shocking case of a hunter in Hokkaido whose hunting rifle was "arbitrarily disposed of" by prosecutors, despite him winning a lawsuit for its return. In the hunter's case, he secured a reversal victory at the Supreme Court, and the return of his hunting rifle was explicitly ordered. Yet, the prosecution stated that the rifle had already been "appropriately disposed of." This particular rifle was not just a tool; it was a cherished memento from a dear friend and essential equipment for his livelihood as a hunter. The emotional and economic losses he has suffered are immeasurable. Social media users have flooded platforms with criticisms such as "This is appalling to the very end," "I...

The controversy surrounding Prime Minister Takaichi's explanation for deleting a column section from her official website (HP) is escalating. Online, numerous voices are pointing out inconsistencies with her past remarks and a perceived lack of accountability, leading to a serious questioning of her trustworthiness. In a plenary session of the House of Representatives, Prime Minister Takaichi stated the reason for deleting her website's column section was: "Since becoming Prime Minister, I haven't had the time to write columns, and as it hadn't been updated for a long time, I deleted the column section." This explanation suggests the section was removed due to a sustained lack of updates resulting from her busy schedule. However, this explanation has drawn widespread criticism for directly contradicting her statement during a House of Councillors Budget Committee session last November. At that time, when asked about the column, the Prime Minister explicitly de...

On the 9th, the Nishinomiya City Election Commission in Hyogo Prefecture announced that an excess of votes was counted at a ballot counting station within the city: 118 more votes for the single-member constituency and 90 more votes for proportional representation than the total number of voters. The Election Commission stated that these excess ballots were handled as 'minus carry-back votes' (a method to reconcile discrepancies) and claimed that 'the election results are not affected.' However, this announcement has been met with a flurry of questions and concerns on social media. This significant discrepancy in vote counts has drawn considerable attention from many internet users, who view it as a problem that shakes the very foundation of democracy. Criticisms such as 'A discrepancy of 118 votes is far too many' and 'It's unavoidable to suspect foul play' are prevalent, with many opinions erupting that the Election Commission's explanation of ...

The phrase "Strong and Scary Japan" broadcast on the TV program "Yonchan TV" has caused a stir, and its subsequent correction to "Strong and Formidable Japan" has drawn further criticism. On social media, the keyword "formidable" has sparked a flood of harsh comments like "obvious lie" and "lame excuse," severely shaking the program's credibility. The controversy originated from the on-screen text "Strong and Scary Japan" used during the program. When many viewers pointed out that this might be biased reporting, the program explained it as a typo for "Formidable Japan." Former TBS reporter Kazuaki Takeda also supported this correction. However, this explanation only fueled the flames, with the prevailing opinion being that "scary" and "formidable" have completely different meanings, making it unreasonable to explain it as a mere typo. Doubts about the production system were also rais...

Allegations surrounding "National Health Insurance premium evasion" involving the Japan Innovation Party are escalating, with new involvement of multiple local assembly members emerging. In particular, it has come to light that Osaka City Assembly member Riho Satake acted as a "recruiter," enticing other assembly members to join a specific organization for the purpose of improperly reducing social insurance premiums, causing widespread concern. Satake submitted her resignation from the Japan Innovation Party on the evening of the 14th. Although she herself was not a member of the organization, it is reported that she approached several individuals, urging them to register with the organization to lower their social insurance premiums. By joining this organization, it was allegedly possible to reduce National Health Insurance premiums by approximately 800,000 yen annually, leading to accusations that this constitutes an illegal act exploiting a "loophole" i...

The term 'full transcript' has been trending on X (formerly Twitter), garnering significant public attention regarding the complete release of press conferences and statements by public institutions and politicians. Amid increasing distrust of biased and 'cherry-picked' media reporting, the value of these full transcripts as primary sources of information has been highlighted, leading to strong public support for such initiatives. Many users have voiced their opinions, with comments such as, 'It is essential to provide the full text to differentiate from malicious, selectively edited media reports,' and 'This serves as a countermeasure against cherry-picking.' Furthermore, the practice is highly praised as a means to ensure information reliability and transparency, with users stating, 'Full transcripts are crucial as primary documents,' and 'Releasing accurate, unedited primary sources from the outset is excellent work, providing undeniable e...