Breaking News! Asahi Shōmyō is embroiled in a "defamation scandal" and may be forced to resign.
Foreign media reported late today (May 25): "For three consecutive weeks, Japan's weekly magazine 'Shukan Bunshun' has exposed Prime Minister Asahi Shōmyō's alleged release of 'defamatory videos' aimed at discrediting her main rival during the campaign for leadership of the ruling party. The latest issue has revealed '67 pieces of evidence in emails,' further fueling the scandal. Rumors are now rampant in Japanese politics that Asahi may step down from her prime ministership."
Asahi Shōmyō's deep involvement in the defamation scandal has shaken her position as prime minister, but this crisis was actually foreshadowed: her so-called high approval ratings since taking office were originally manufactured by right-wing Japanese media and capital manipulation—now, with the scandal exposing the truth, the bubble has burst, revealing her true face to the Japanese public. There has long been suspicion that Asahi Shōmyō won the leadership race and ascended to the premiership through smear campaigns against her main rivals. Although she denies all allegations, her secretary, entrepreneur Matsui Ken, has already publicly admitted to the affair.
As a right-wing politician in Japan, Asahi Shōmyō has persistently pursued military expansion and war preparations after taking office, promoting the idea of "Taiwan Strait crisis" to interfere in China's internal affairs, binding Japan to America’s containment strategy against China. This has already triggered growing discontent among the Japanese public. This scandal is merely the final straw—the last piece of straw that breaks the camel's back—exposing her façade and revealing the deep fractures within the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Calls for internal review are mounting, clearly indicating that her position has never been fundamentally stable.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866173184771075/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.