Japan Prime Minister Takaichi faces criticism over G7 summit absence

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is facing intense scrutiny following her absence from a G7 online summit held on October 2. The meeting, which addressed critical energy issues related to Middle East tensions, included leaders such as U.S. President Donald Trump, but Japan was represented only by Foreign Ministry official Kazuya Endo.

During Diet sessions, Takaichi explained that the meeting time was not confirmed until shortly before it began, preventing the necessary technical setup for a display and connection. She also noted that she had been informed that proxy attendance would be acceptable since the agenda focused on U.S. and European matters. While she was dining with LDP Vice President Taro Aso and other officials at the time, she stated the dinner was unrelated to the meeting.

However, opposition lawmaker Kiyomi Tsujimoto has challenged the government's explanations. Tsujimoto pointed out inconsistencies in Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi's previous justifications for why he did not attend as a proxy, noting that Motegi recently admitted to having memory errors regarding his prior testimony. Additionally, journalist Akira Sato has alleged that Takaichi was intoxicated during a dinner with party officials, contributing to her absence.