Photo/Illutration From left, Hironobu Yumoto, deputy director-general of the telecommunication ministry’s information and communications bureau, and Yoshinori Akimoto, director-general of the same bureau, attend a Lower House Budget Committee meeting on Feb. 19. (Kotaro Ebara)

The telecommunications ministry backpedaled and admitted that satellite broadcasting was discussed at dinners involving ministry officials and employees of a visual media production company that included the eldest son of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

The ministry had insisted that the business topic was never raised during the dinners involving four ministry officials and Tohokushinsha Film Corp. employees, which took place on separate occasions from October to December in 2020.

However, the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun disclosed a taped conversation between the ministry officials and Suga’s eldest son, who works for the Tokyo-based satellite broadcast-related company, and other executives.

After that, Kuniaki Hara, director-general of the Minister’s Secretariat, said at a Lower House Budget Committee meeting on Feb. 19 that the ministry asked two executives of the company, including Suga’s son, and they replied voices on the recording were theirs.

Yoshinori Akimoto, director-general of the ministry’s information and communications bureau, who admitted to being wined and dined by Tohokushinsha, was asked about the matter in the Diet the previous day and said, “I don’t remember.”

But Akimoto changed his story the following day, saying, “I understand that (Suga’s son and others) had probably made comments regarding BS, CS and Star Channel.”

The ministry also announced personnel moves on the day that Akimoto and Hironobu Yumoto, deputy director-general of the same bureau, who also was reportedly present at the dinners, will be transferred to the Minister’s Secretariat as of Feb. 20.

Communications minister Ryota Takeda said at a news conference after a Cabinet meeting on Feb. 19 that the transfers were made “to place the right people in the right jobs before the Diet’s discussion on bills in consideration of various situations.”

“It has nothing to do with any reprimand over the Tohokushinsha matter,” Takeda said. “We will look at the investigation results and immediately take disciplinary action if needed.”

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