THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
May 25, 2023 at 16:16 JST
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, center, heads to attend an Upper House plenary session in the Diet on May 24. (Koichi Ueda)
The government acknowledged an online media report that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s eldest son, Shotaro, held a year-end party for relatives at the prime minister’s official residence in Tokyo.
“His behavior reported by the media is inappropriate,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a news conference on May 25. “We would like to ensure proper management of the use (of the official residence) so that this will not occur again.”
Matsuno said he has heard that Shotaro received a severe reprimand from the elder Kishida.
Shotaro, who serves as the prime minister’s executive secretary in charge of political affairs, invited more than 10 people including his relatives to the official residence for the year-end party, according to an article posted on May 24 by Bunshun Online.
The published photos, reportedly dated Dec. 30, 2022, shows Shotaro and his relatives posing on the red-carpeted stairs and one of them sitting with outstretched legs on the stairs.
“I’m aware that (Shotaro) will tackle his duties with an even greater sense of determination,” Matsuno said. He indicated that Shotaro would not be disciplined or dismissed.
According to the Asahi Shimbun’s report on the prime minister’s activities, Kishida entered his official residence at 5:46 p.m. on Dec. 30 and did not leave from there after that.
Matsuno said that Kishida showed up for dinner in his private living quarters and greeted the relatives.
Shotaro had been accused of mixing public and private matters in a recent incident on an overseas trip by the prime minister.
In January, he visited tourist spots in Paris and London using the official cars of the Japanese embassies there. He also bought souvenirs at a luxury department store in London for members of the Kishida Cabinet.
Shotaro was heavily criticized in the Diet by the opposition bloc, but was defended by his father as saying he was performing "official duties" on his behalf.
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