Taro Kono’s Immediate Blocking of “Help Me” Post on Vaccine Side Effects and His True Online Reputation

Taro Kono, the Minister of Digital Affairs, who has declared his candidacy for the LDP presidential election (official announcement on September 12, voting on September 27), appeared on “Sunday Report THE PRIME” (Fuji TV) on September 1. He expressed his intention to continue blocking defamatory or abusive comments on X, even if he becomes Prime Minister and party leader.

 

Kono is well-known for blocking users he doesn’t like on X, preventing them from viewing or interacting with him, earning him the nickname “Block Taro.”

 

When asked on the program about considerations for the public’s freedom of expression and the judgment of whether content constitutes defamation or abuse, Kono maintained his firm stance, saying:

“Is it acceptable to defame someone just because they’re the Prime Minister? Or because they’re ministers?”

He remained resolute in his position, adding:

“I will accept opposing views, but defamation and abuse are not acceptable. In fact, it is precisely someone in a position like the Prime Minister who needs to state this clearly.”

Kono insisted on this stance. However, it has become clear that he does not solely block defamation and abuse.

 

During a press conference following the first oral arguments in a class-action lawsuit by families of those affected by COVID-19 vaccines on August 19, a woman named Chiho Shishido from Iwate Prefecture revealed that she had been blocked by Kono.

 

In December 2022, Shishido replied to Kono on X:

 

“I’ve been suffering from health issues and struggling with life since a year ago after the vaccination. I’ve applied for the relief program, but I don’t think I can hold on until the results come in. Please help vaccine victims as well. You said you would take responsibility if something happened, right? Was that statement a lie?”

 

She replied to Kono on X. 

The message expresses a sincere plea and does not seem to constitute defamation or abuse. However, on the same day, Kono reportedly blocked her.

 

 

In January 2021, Kono became the Minister for Vaccination Promotion and, under former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s directive of “1 million doses per day,” rapidly expanded vaccine distribution across Japan. At that time, Kono stated that if any criticism arose from local governments’ independent decisions, he would:

 

“I will take full responsibility. To ensure that precious vaccines are not wasted, I will handle everything here, so please do not hesitate to proceed.”

 

He made this broad commitment at the time.

 

“Looking back now, it seems that Kono’s commitment to ‘take responsibility’ was merely for accelerating the vaccination process, and he had no intention of taking responsibility for adverse effects or deaths. Blocking individuals on X, rather than addressing patients’ concerns, shows a lack of empathy.

 

Using the justification of ‘not tolerating defamation’ as a shield to eliminate inconvenient voices is understandable. Can a hereditary politician who has been handed down through three generations of his family really understand the lives and pain of ordinary people?” (From a wide-show industry insider)

 

The effectiveness of the vaccine remains highly controversial, and protests from anti-vaccine groups continue.

 

While all medicines and vaccines carry potential risks, the government should demonstrate a sincere commitment to investigating and addressing any unusual side effects.

 

On social media, some comments include:

“Since my mother was suffering too, I made a request, but I was blocked two hours later. I will never forgive this.”

“Blocking the voices of the people is unacceptable. This person is unfit to be a minister, let alone a legislator.”

“Is this person really a candidate for Prime Minister of Japan?”

Criticism has been voiced:

 

“In 2020, when Yahoo! News conducted a survey on who was most suitable to succeed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Kono showed overwhelming strength with 61.7%, far ahead of the second-place Shigeru Ishiba with 15.2%. He also had high popularity online with 2.55 million followers on X.

 

However, his approach of blocking defamation on X and ignoring inconvenient questions at press conferences has become problematic, and his online popularity seems to be waning. Perhaps that was the peak of Kono’s popularity even in the online world.”

 

As Kono increasingly shows his unique stance on issues like easing dismissal regulations and strengthening financial income taxation, it remains to be seen whether these policies will gain support from the online community.