Sanseito Requires Advance Registration for Press Conferences Required; Experts Warn over Public’s Right to Know

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:37 JST, August 8, 2025

Opposition party Sanseito has notified media outlets and other organizations that advance registration will be required to attend regular press conferences with the party’s leader Sohei Kamiya.

Experts have warned that the requirement could allow the party to arbitrarily select media outlets that are allowed to attend, potentially infringing on the public’s right to know.

Registration will require applicants to agree to a written disclaimer stating that anyone who has engaged in “disruption or nuisance behavior” may be denied access.

On July 22, Sanseito refused to allow a reporter from the Kanagawa Shimbun to attend a regular press conference held at the Diet. The party claimed that the reporter had “been involved in disruptive acts during street speeches” in the Upper House election period and stated that “there was also a risk of disorder at the press conference.” The newspaper issued a statement rebutting this, saying the claim was “based on an obvious factual error.”

The party began asking for registrations on Wednesday. However, it has not specified what circumstances would constitute disruption or nuisance.

Kamiya has previously explained that the registration system is “not about pre-screening to reject certain people … If we say one question per person and someone refuses to cooperate, we may deny them entry, but it’s not about excluding people just because their views differ.”

Other political parties also sometimes impose conditions on reporters attending press conferences, such as requiring attendance solely for reporting purposes, or asking for the presentation of a business card or to wear an armband. These policies are implemented to avoid disorder. However, no other party refuses attendance to those who do not accept conditions set out in advance.

Hiroshi Shiratori, a Hosei University professor specializing in contemporary political analysis, said, “Parties that receive taxpayer-funded political subsidies from the government have a responsibility to explain themselves to the public, including on matters unfavorable to them.” He added, “If vague terms like ‘disruption’ or ‘nuisance’ are interpreted broadly, this could lead to the exclusion of media outlets critical of the party, ultimately threatening the public’s right to know.”

Shiratori also warned that “reporters may feel pressured and shrink from asking anything but questions favorable to the party.”

Sanseito has stressed that press conferences are streamed in full online without being edited, which they say creates an environment where anyone can watch, whether or not they are part of the media. However, Kenta Yamada, a Senshu University professor specializing in media law, said: “A press conference is not just a publicity platform for a party to say whatever it wants. Even if it can be viewed online, if reporters on site cannot freely ask questions, the party’s claims will simply be broadcast unilaterally, which is problematic.”