Japanese Prime Minister Takashi's Office Denies Involvement in Slander Video, Opposition Demands Witness

Prime Minister Takashi's secretary submitted a written statement to the Diet, asserting that neither the prime minister’s office nor his campaign staff produced, disseminated, or commissioned any defamatory video that targeted other candidates during last October’s LDP leadership race or the February lower‑house election.

The secretary acknowledged a brief online meeting with a man alleged to have created the video but said he does not recall the man’s face or name. Centrist reform coalition leader Junya Ogawa said the explanation is “far from resolving the issue” and urged that the secretary be called as a witness before the Diet committee.