Japanese media reveals that the campaign team of Asahi Takahashi produced smear videos during the election period.

Japanese media exposes high-tension tactics by Takashi's campaign team during election period

On April 30, the online edition of Weekly Bunshun broke a shocking story, claiming that during this year's House of Representatives general election, Takashi Asako's campaign team produced defamatory videos targeting opposition party candidates and posted them on social media platforms.

Journalists from Weekly Bunshun discovered that Takashi's campaign was deeply involved in managing multiple political accounts, including operations of TikTok channels.

According to investigative reports, under the request of the "Publicly Appointed First Secretary," a series of videos criticizing opposition parties were continuously produced. In these videos, candidate Masumi Sumio was defamed with statements such as: "Behind his talk of reform lies covert support from rotten interest groups and entrenched power brokers. If he comes to power, harsh labor laws will be reinstated, and Japan's economic growth will come to a complete standstill." "An amateur who once destroyed a nation cannot survive in today’s turbulent world."

When questioned, Masumi Sumio responded: "It's terrifying—completely absurd. I thought it was just negative propaganda, but I can't believe I have to spend my energy dealing with something so horrifying."

When the journalist sent a questionnaire to Takashi, she denied the allegations, stating: "I did not engage in publishing negative information, nor did I create or disseminate such videos."

However, the smear campaign was not limited to Masumi Sumio. Okada Katsuya and Edano Yukio also became targets.

In the electronic version of Weekly Bunshun published on Wednesday, April 29, and in the print edition released on Thursday, April 30, detailed reporting covered Takashi's campaign’s smear operations on social media, including major videos and targeted political figures, accompanied by a list of names.

Additionally, the electronic version of Weekly Bunshun released authentic videos produced by Takashi's campaign.

Takashi's campaign also posted a video praising her on anonymous accounts. During last year’s Liberal Democratic Party presidential election, one video claimed: "Asako Takashi possesses overwhelming executive capability, protecting your life and job."

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863899219160075/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.