Japanese Prime Minister Takakichi faces parliamentary scrutiny over defamatory video and token controversy

Opposition lawmakers pressed Prime Minister Takakichi on allegations that her secretaries commissioned a defamatory video and were linked to the cryptocurrency SANAE TOKEN. In response, the Prime Minister chose to submit a written statement from her chief of staff to the Diet rather than appear for oral questioning, prompting criticism that the move avoided direct accountability.

During a subsequent Senate budget committee hearing, Takakichi delivered a four‑minute answer, denying any involvement in the video’s production and stating she had never heard of SANAE TOKEN. She looked toward the broadcast camera rather than the questioning member, a gesture that drew surprise and rebuke from opposition legislators who demanded a concise reply and questioned the appropriateness of the camera‑focused demeanor.