The Musashino City Councilor of the Constitutional Democratic Party, who was exposed to a “suspicious letter with a close-up photo of himself with a beautiful woman,” says he regrets what he did.

This April, the once-every-four-year local elections will be held. The pre-election season is a time when the political parties and their candidates are engaged in their scheming and scheming, and one can say that a “suspicious letter” is a typical pre-election tradition. The sources of these documents are unknown and their authenticity is questionable, while others are so specific in their contents that one can only assume they were created by a familiar figure.

To all those involved with the Musashino City Constitutional Democratic Party

The editorial department of this magazine also received a suspicious letter with a photograph concerning a city council member. The letter is said to be about Taro Yabuhara, 49, a city councilor of Musashino City, Tokyo, who belongs to the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. The letter accuses Yabuhara, who has a wife and child, of having a “man-woman relationship” with a woman living in Tokyo, Ms. A. The author of the letter is not named. The name of the author of the document is not given.

Taro Yabuhara, a member of the Musashino City Council
(Ward X) Ms. A
I know that both of you have families. We would like to ask for an explanation of their relationship and will send the document to their respective offices. Please inspect them.

In the suspicious letter, a man with short hair, who appears to be Mr. Yabuhara, puts his cheek against the face of a beautiful woman, who appears to be of the same generation, and puts his arm around her body. The two are too close to be “just friends.

Mr. A used to live in Musashino City and work as a volunteer campaign staffer for the candidates of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and other parties. She is still working as an election volunteer for other Tokyo assembly members of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.

Yabuhara, on the other hand, is a twice-elected city council member whose outspokenness on social networking sites has won him support from voters.

He says, “I sometimes yell out in the assembly, and sometimes I get loud when we clash over policy. But basically, he is mild-mannered and not bad with people. He likes to drink and is affectionately known as ‘Yabu-chan,’ and when he leaves the assembly he goes out drinking with members of other parties. Musashino City is home to many cartoonists and celebrities involved in anime, and Yabu-chan, who loves anime, always says, ‘Let’s revitalize the town with anime and manga. The current mayor agrees with this idea.

When we asked Yabuhara, who was making a street speech in front of Kichijoji Station, about the true meaning of the “double adultery allegation,” he was puzzled but replied, “I don’t know.

‘Is this still (being) spread around?　It was the season of short sleeves, so maybe half a year ago. The same thing was distributed to the four city council members of our faction. Also to my wife’s parents’ house. I do business in Musashino, so I know people who know, but it’s awful, isn’t it?”

–Do you and Mr. A have a “man-woman relationship”?

No, we are not. I don’t remember having a picture taken, but I think it was when we went out for a drink with a lot of people when Corona was momentarily out of sight. She was helping me with my campaign.”

— “You’ve got your cheeks together, though?

‘I don’t remember, but I’m sorry about that part.

— “What did your wife say?

‘My wife’s parents received a suspicious letter as well, but I wonder if (she) knows about it?　My wife’s mother contacted me. She scolded me, saying, ‘You, too, must be careful.'”

–Given the circumstances, someone close to you may have created and distributed the documents.　Do you have any idea who might have done it?

I hear this story all over the country at this time of year. I think my letter is also well written. I can’t think of anyone, but I wonder if someone close to me is doing it.

Although the truth is unclear, it is certain that someone was trying to discredit him. A veteran city council member surmises, “In local elections, council members of the same political party are elected.

In local elections, even members of the same political party become rivals. Mr. Yabuhara has no specific support group, and he has won both elections just in time. He likes to drink, has a lax side, and sometimes gets flamed on social networking sites. Since he does not have any big-name politicians in his background, some people may have thought that he would be easy to defeat.

If you show an opening, you will be dropped. It is extremely difficult to survive in politics, whether national or municipal.