A Populist Leader Arrested

Hyogo Prefectural Police arrested the head of a populist anti-NHK party, Takashi Tachibana, with suspicion of defamation on a member of Hyogo Prefectural Assembly, who were one of the members of investigation committee on harassment by Governor of Hyogo, Motohiko Saito. Tachibana is suspected as circulating false information about Takeuchi, which caused broad criticisms against Takeuchi in social networking services. Tachibana does not dispute what he commented about Takeuchi. 

Tachibana said in his campaign of mayoral election in Izumiotsu City, Osaka, in December 2024 that Takeuchi had been interviewed by police. Takeuchi killed himself with mental uneasiness January 2025, suffering from Tachibana’s offensive comments on him. Tachibana further spread false information about Takeuchi’s death that Takeuchi was scheduled to be arrested, as if Takeuchi had been concerning about it.

 

Tachibana’s offense on Takeuchi was related to a scandal of the governor Saito who had been involved in harassments on his staffs in Hyogo Prefectural Government. Receiving criticisms on the scandal, Saito stepped down as the governor in September 2024 and ran for the election in November, which would elect the successor of Saito. Tachibana ran for the election to support Saito, not seeking victory for himself. Taking advantage of the election campaign, Tachibana repeated praises for Saito in his public speeches in a place close to Saito’s campaign.

 

Saito has been popular for internet users, sharing a common ground with Tachibana. Tachibana accused movements in Hyogo Prefectural Assembly to replace Saito. He repeated accusing against the member of a committee, which had a strong authority to investigate Saito’s scandal, including offensive speech in front of the house of one of the committee members.

 

A lot of telephone calls and emails that accused Takeuchi arrived at his home and office as Tachibana persistently denounced Takeuchi. Takeuchi apologized his families about the hardship brought by Tachibana before his death. His wife submitted accusation against Tachibana to the police. Chief officer of the police denied the fact what Tachibana said in his speeches.

 

Tachibana’s anti-NHK group has a seat in the House of Councillors. The lawmaker joined a parliamentary group with the Liberal Democratic Party. Sanae Takaichi administration invited the group which shared some right-wing policies. Apologizing about arrest of Tachibana, the lawmaker announced that he would leave the parliamentary group.

 

Disturbing election with false information is seen in other elections. In the gubernatorial election of Miyagi in October 2025, in which a candidate from Sanseito has a close race against the incumbent governor, Yoshihiro Mural. In that election, a many false information about Murai was distributed in social networking service. Prevalence of artificial intelligence made that kind of generating false information easier, the phenomena which have negative effect on democratic process to elect representatives of the people.

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