The miracle moment photo that spread online (some parts of the image have been altered for privacy protection). The candid truth revealed in the direct interview. ――What is your relationship with Saito? “I have not signed a consulting contract or supported his election. Our company is a consulting firm, but we specialize in business management, not election consulting. Saito is a friend. During this situation (harassment allegations, vote of no confidence, etc.), no one was around him anymore. He has his flaws, but there were also lies in the media coverage. That’s why I continued to be his friend. During the election period, I gave him advice as a friend, such as ‘You should shave your beard’ and ‘It would be better if you were brighter,’ but of course, no money was involved.” ――How did you become friends with Saito? “I met Saito in 2018 when he was still a public servant (Director of the Fiscal Affairs Division of Osaka Prefecture). He was about to run for election, and I was introduced to him by someone. At that time, we did not sign a consulting contract.” ――Was the video of the 100-year-old woman and Saito staged? “At that time (October 1), Saito had almost no supporters. I was worried that he might be attacked or assassinated, so I followed him to his street speech. Then, the daughter of the elderly woman came to me and said, ‘My mother wants to meet Saito.’ Coincidentally, a TV crew was there, and that scene was filmed. It was definitely not staged. Several media outlets were at the scene and witnessed the whole exchange.” Kawashimada refuted the claims about the video and photos, saying that the mastermind behind the spread of the footage was: “I have confirmed that the daughter of a member of the Kagawa Prefecture Assembly from the Liberal Democratic Party intentionally exposed it. They probably want to protect their vested interests.” ――Why doesn’t Orida appear before the media? “As with Saito’s post-election press conference, there is a possibility of media harassment by the press because the reporters lack manners. Can a woman in her 30s (Orida) really be in such a situation? It’s highly questionable. I’ve heard from election volunteers that Orida proposed a social media strategy, but Saito didn’t request it. This is just my speculation, but I think Orida might have exaggerated to link her work to the situation.” ――What do you think about the allegations of harassment against Saito? “I believe there are issues with both the media and social media. In this case, false information was spread. There are few media outlets that do proper reporting. Most are salaried journalists. My private personal information, including my face and address, has been exposed online as the mastermind, which is a typical example of how false information circulates. (Regarding the harassment allegations) In the three years Saito was governor, the two things he did were slam a desk and throw sticky notes. Furthermore, the sticky notes were not thrown at anyone.” ――Saito acknowledged yelling at a staff member who parked 20 meters away in a restricted area. “At first, the staff member did not perceive it as harassment.” However, this staff member stated during the testimony on August 30th in the special committee that they felt they had received unreasonable scolding. Their perception may have changed, but there are discrepancies between the two sides’ claims.