Photo/Illutration Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, center, and Shotaro, right, his eldest son and executive secretary, leave the prime minister’s office on Dec. 26. (Koichi Ueda)

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida defended his eldest son's shopping and sightseeing outings by using official vehicles during a recent overseas trip as "official duties" in his capacity as his executive secretary. 

Kishida was grilled by the opposition bloc over his eldest son Shotaro’s activities when he accompanied the prime minister to five Group of Seven nations in January. 

Kishida said his 32-year-old son, who serves as his executive secretary in charge of political affairs, bought souvenirs for members of his Cabinet on his behalf as part of his official duties.

The souvenirs are believed to be luxury brand neckties.

Members of the Kishida administration raised concerns that the reports would draw further criticism.

Kishida was asked by Yuichi Goto of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan at a meeting of the Lower House Budget Committee on Jan. 31 about the souvenirs. They were purchased by Shotaro at luxury department store Harrods in London.

“I am aware that he bought them for all the ministers,” Kishida said. He emphasized that he paid for the gifts with money “out of my own pocket.”

But he didn’t disclose what his son purchased or how much he paid, saying, “I will refrain from giving specific details.”

Goto also asked, “Is it an official duty of prime minister’s secretary to buy private souvenirs? Isn’t that mixing public and private matters?”

Kishida responded, “Buying souvenirs on behalf of the prime minister, who is a politician, could be included among the duties for secretaries of the prime minster.”

“It’s an official duty,” he added.

Ten of the 13 Cabinet members who were questioned said they received souvenirs at a news conference after a Cabinet meeting on the same day.

But all 10 declined specifying what they received, saying it is “a private matter.”

On the other hand, the office of one Cabinet member said a secretary working for the prime minister’s office visited there on Jan. 19 after Kishida's visits to France, Italy, Britain, Canada and the United States.

The secretary handed him a paper bag, saying, “Here is a souvenir from Prime Minister Kishida's business trip.”

A box with a business card attached saying “Prime Minister Fumio Kishida” was in the paper bag. Inside the box was a tie from the Italian fashion designer brand Giorgio Armani.

Another Cabinet member also told reporters in an interview that the souvenir was a tie.

A ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker who previously served as a secretary to a prime minister said, “It’s unbelievable. Why does (the prime minister Kishida) make his secretary run around buying souvenirs for his ministers?”

A senior official at the prime minister’s office referred to the criticism that Shotaro’s appointment as an executive secretary was “nepotism” and expressed concern that the scandal could fuel further criticism.

The official said that the concern is “what the public will think.”

Hiroshi Kajiyama, the LDP's executive acting secretary-general, said, “We must take the criticism seriously” at a news conference.

The weekly news magazine Shukan Shincho reported that Shotaro visited tourist spots in Paris and London using the official cars of the Japanese embassies there.

The government said that the purpose of his outings was to take photographs for publicizing the government’s work and to purchase souvenirs on behalf of the prime minister. It said there was “no inappropriate acts” such as sightseeing or private shopping.

Hiroshi Shiratori, a professor of contemporary politics analysis at Hosei University’s Graduate School of Law, said, “It’s not surprising that the public questions the prime minister’s secretary buying ‘private’ souvenirs by using taxpayers’ money.”

“Questions remain whether this is work expected of a secretary to the prime minister," he said. "There may be a big difference in perception between the prime minister and the public.” 

(This article was written by Takashi Narazaki and Yuta Ogi.)

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