Kishida Denies Wrongdoing Over Year-End Party Linked to Son’s Sacking

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:11 JST, June 2, 2023

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has denied any wrongdoing following a magazine report that he posed for photos with guests at a year-end party at his official residence.

“I attended the party with relatives in a private area of my official residence,” Kishida said to reporters on Friday. “I believe I did not do anything inappropriate.”

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno also insisted the prime minister was not at fault.

“There’s no major problem [with the prime minister] doing things such as sharing a meal with relatives in his private quarters,” Matsuno said at a press conference the same day.

Kishida sacked his eldest son Shotaro as executive secretary to the prime minister following media reports that he and other relatives had taken photos in public areas during the party held at the end of last year.