Tokyo International News Agency

Suspicions of stealth marketing (astroturfing) instructions by Shinjiro Koizumi's camp have emerged in connection with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election, leading to a deluge of calls on social media for his withdrawal from the race. On the internet, 'Withdraw' (辞退して) has become a trending topic, spreading strong public distrust. This alleged astroturfing issue, reportedly covered by Shukan Josei PRIME and Yahoo! News, involves suspicions that Koizumi's camp directed fake posts praising him with phrases like 'Shinjiro Mansei' (Long Live Shinjiro) and slandering other candidates with comments such as 'Don't lose to fake business conservatives,' all in an attempt to manipulate public opinion in their favor. In response, many citizens are vehemently protesting, stating that it 'distorted a free and healthy space for public discourse.' On X (formerly Twitter), numerous comments point out that Koizumi's Instagram comment ...

On the afternoon of the 23rd, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba held a meeting with Taro Aso, former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, and former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the President's Office at the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) headquarters. During this meeting, a comment by Mr. Aso to Prime Minister Ishiba has been reported, “There was someone who told me to take responsibility and resign, wasn't there? Doesn't this resemble that time?” This remark has sent ripples through Nagatacho, Japan's political center. The statement is widely interpreted as a scathing sarcasm aimed at the person believed to have previously called for Aso's resignation (with many on social media pointing to Ishiba himself), suggesting an implied question about Prime Minister Ishiba's own political future and accountability. Mr. Aso's remark swiftly went viral on social media, with the keyword “take responsibility” trending. Users have barraged Prime Minister Ishiba with direct ca...