<figure id="attachment_410661" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 3000px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-410661"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="299fb5c7"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/01/f02485bff8309d1ae3a76996116c0813.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-410661" class="wp-caption-text">Hideo Higashikokubaru, who spread false information on social media about former Hyogo Prefectural Assembly member Hideaki Takeuchi.</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Refraining from appearing on regular programs</h2>
The former Hyogo Prefectural Assembly member Hideaki Takeuchi, who had been investigating suspicions surrounding former Hyogo Governor Motohiko Saito (47) through a special investigative committee, has passed away, causing ongoing controversy.
On the January 25 broadcast of Hōdō Tokushū (TBS), the program examined the case and interviewed Takashi Tachibana (57), the leader of the NHK kara Kokumin wo Mamoru Tō (The Party to Protect the People from NHK), who claimed that Takeuchi had been involved in drafting a whistleblower document by a former prefectural bureau chief who had also passed away.
In a video posted on November 3 of last year, Tachibana stated that he would not only visit the chairman of the investigative committee, Okutani, but also go to Takeuchi as well. The following day, Takeuchi felt his safety was at risk and, in order to protect his family, resigned from his position as an assembly member.
On January 18, Takeuchi took his own life. Even after the tragic news, Tachibana posted a video stating:
&#8220;Former Assemblyman Takeuchi was scheduled to be arrested tomorrow.&#8221;
However, in response to this claim, the head of the Hyogo Prefectural Police made an unusual statement denying it, saying:
&#8220;We have not even conducted a voluntary interview with him.&#8221;
Declaring the claim to be completely baseless, the police prompted Tachibana to apologize and delete the video.
The false rumor about Takeuchi&#8217;s scheduled arrest was not spread by Tachibana alone. Former Miyazaki Governor Hideo Higashikokubaru (67) also made a similar claim on X, posting:
&#8220;I heard that the police had also questioned him.&#8221;
As a result of this, on the January 23 broadcast of TBS&#8217;s Gogo Suma – GOGO! Smile!, in which Higashikokubaru is a regular, host Ryoji Ishii announced at the beginning of the program that Higashikokubaru would refrain from appearing on the show.
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="His future as a commentator will be announced at ......"></div>
<h2>#DoNotLetHideoHigashikokubaruOnTV</h2>
On the January 25 broadcast of Hōdō Tokushū, Higashikokubaru was also interviewed and asked why he had made such a post.
He responded: 
&#8220;I used the phrase I heard because I had come across such claims, but I reflected on the fact that their authenticity was uncertain, so I posted a retraction and deleted the post.&#8221;
When asked about his source of information, he admitted: 

“The internet.&#8221;
However, he also insisted: 

&#8220;The existence of suspicions is my interpretation. The fact that there are suspicions is true.&#8221;
He argued that raising suspicions itself was not problematic.
After the broadcast ended, Higashikokubaru posted another video on his YouTube channel titled Apologies for the Incorrect Post, in which he apologized again.
As his statements spread across social media, criticism erupted:
&#8220;Huh? What is this guy even saying? He’s not remorseful at all! He thinks just like Tachibana!&#8221;
&#8220;Never appear on TV again!&#8221;
&#8220;If Higashikokubaru is on a show, check the sponsors!&#8221;
The hashtag (#DoNotLetHideoHigashikokubaruOnTV) began trending as a flood of backlash followed.
A staff member from another news program commented:
&#8220;Live broadcasts with cross-talk already require caution to prevent careless remarks, but posting unverified information from the internet on X is extremely reckless behavior. Some people want to appear well-connected and frame things as if they heard them from insiders to gain social media attention. Chasing impressions and seeking validation—this is the dark side of SNS. If this level of claim had been made as &#8216;I heard a suspicion&#8217; on television, it could have become a case for the BPO (Broadcasting Ethics &amp; Program Improvement Organization). While Higashikokubaru has apologized, TV stations, especially their news divisions, might decide to ban him from appearing for the time being.&#8221;
Higashikokubaru was once considered a valuable commentator with broad political insight. However, in this case, his actions—spreading misinformation after someone&#8217;s death—were reckless and, arguably, malicious.

 Natsuki Sakai/Afro

 The "death" of Hideaki Takeuchi, a former Hyogo Prefectural Assembly member, has caused a stir. The "wrong post" sent out by Takashi Tachibana and Hideo Higashikunihara has been denied by the head of the prefectural police. ......

Hideo Higashikokubaru: Fake News Admission Jeopardizes Career

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