A dispute has arisen after it was verified that the office of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi provided celebratory gifts valued at tens of thousands of yen (hundreds of thousands of Korean won) to newly elected members of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) following the 8th House of Representatives election. As reported by Kyodo News and the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun on the 24th, a representative from the prime minister’s office personally visited the offices of LDP lawmakers to present “catalog gifts” worth tens of thousands of yen to commemorate their electoral successes.
The gift wrap bore the inscription “Sanae Takaichi,” and the presents were said to be worth around 30,000 yen. Catalog gifts are brochures that feature a range of items from which recipients can select their desired products.
Kyodo News stated that in addition to first-term LDP legislators, certain re-elected officials also obtained these catalog gifts from Prime Minister Takaichi’s office. Shukan Bunshun noted that at least four members of the House of Representatives (lower house) or their staff confirmed receiving the presents.
The LDP experienced difficulties in 2023 because of a “slush fund scandal” centered around factions. In March of the previous year, former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba faced significant backlash for giving gift certificates valued at 100,000 yen (around 930,000 Korean won) to new members of the House of Representatives.
Currently, Prime Minister Takaichi faces the possibility of being involved in a comparable political financing controversy. Kyodo News stated, “Deep-seated public skepticism regarding political funding persists,” and mentioned, “This may affect discussions on the budget bill at the end of March.”
Tensions are rising inside the LDP. As reported by Kyodo News, some members of the party are questioning, “Why make the same errors following such a political financing scandal?” and “There needs to be strict responsibility imposed.”
In reply, Prime Minister Takaichi shared on her X (formerly Twitter) account on the 24th, “Following the House of Representatives election, we provided gifts to every legislator as a way to show our appreciation and commemorate their successes.”
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