The Man Even the Muscle Lawyer Couldn’t Outsmart — Election Watcher Chidai Breaks Down How to Deal with Takashi Tachibana

Crush (Tachibana) flat

The series of uproars surrounding Motohiko Saito (47), Governor of Hyogo Prefecture, which erupted last year, still shows no signs of settling down.

At the center of this is Takashi Tachibana (57), leader of the Party to Protect the People from NHK, who helped secure Governor Saito’s reelection through their so-called two-horsepower collaboration. It’s a well-known fact that Tachibana himself has also faced various controversies. While his appearances in old media and online news outlets have dwindled, on YouTube, interest surrounding both the Motohiko Saito problem and Tachibana remains intense. Videos examining and pursuing issues related to Tachibana are uploaded daily, gradually becoming popular content.

There have been repeated accusations that his conduct during the Hyogo gubernatorial election may have violated the law, and even since then, he’s continued to make problematic remarks. While public voices questioning “Is it okay to leave him unchecked like this?” are growing louder, there’s been no visible response from the police, and Tachibana himself continues to speak as freely as ever.

Many began to wonder if no one could challenge or rein in Tachibana. That’s when, as if to answer those calls, a newcomer appeared — someone the YouTube community had seemingly been waiting for.

That person is lawyer Yasunori Sakurai. He runs a YouTube channel titled “Muscle Lawyer Yasunori Sakurai: Behind the Law”, where he has uploaded numerous videos addressing and criticizing Tachibana. When it was announced that Sakurai and Tachibana would have a direct discussion, not only anti-Tachibana viewers and fans but also people who had been closely following the various controversies surrounding the Hyogo gubernatorial election — as well as members of the media — paid close attention.

The debate was originally scheduled for April 29 but was abruptly canceled after Tachibana cited being mentally unfit to debate with Sakurai. It seemed the showdown might never happen, but thanks to Sakurai’s persistence, it was quickly rescheduled for May 1.

Thankfully, there was no last-minute cancellation this time. The debate commenced, with lawyer Katsuya Fukunaga also present. Sakurai tackled Tachibana head-on, calling out various pieces of misinformation Tachibana had spread regarding the Hyogo election. However, as always, Tachibana sidestepped the issues with his usual logic twisting, refusing to admit to any lies. In the end, the discussion went nowhere and concluded in a deadlock.

Viewers reacted by saying things like:

“It fell flat.”

“It was boring.”

That’s because in a video posted the day before, Sakurai had boldly declared he would crush Tachibana flat, and both anti-Tachibana viewers and those frustrated with him had tuned in, hoping to see Tachibana finally get his comeuppance.

 

It’s true that lawyer Sakurai seemed unable to fully pursue Tachibana and appeared to be struggling to mount an effective offense. As a result, Tachibana’s supporters were overjoyed, saying things like:

“As expected of Tachibana-san, a complete victory!”

However, looking at it calmly, it wasn’t that Tachibana won and Sakurai lost.

When asked to present evidence for the misinformation he had spread, Tachibana failed to do so and instead dodged the issue by twisting the logic. It can’t be said that he won the debate — but to his supporters, it seems that escaping is also a form of victory.

Also, from an entertainment standpoint, many viewers felt the discussion lacked excitement and ended up being dull.

Chidai, the election watcher who has continually pursued Tachibana for years and consistently defeated him in court, uploaded a video after the debate titled “The Muscle Lawyer Who Botched His Strategy to Outsmart Guru Takashi Tachibana, in which he explains how to properly handle Tachibana.

Despicable acts that cause real harm in everyday life

I spoke again with Mr. Chidai.

“I understand why someone who is smart enough to be a lawyer, articulate, and persuasive would want to challenge Takashi Tachibana to a debate. People might naturally think that such a person could easily defeat Tachibana. But they can’t. The concept of winning a debate simply doesn’t exist for him. Winning a debate means logically presenting your case, saying to the other person, ‘You’re wrong here and here for these reasons,’ and having them admit their mistake. That’s winning a debate. But with someone who absolutely never admits being wrong, the concept of winning a debate doesn’t apply.

For example, the late Kiyotaka Iwai had written about Tachibana’s behavior in his will. If you asked, ‘You are the cause, aren’t you?’ Normally, since it’s written in the will and he actually passed away, a normal person might say, ‘Yes, that might be true.’ But Tachibana would never say that. Instead, he’d say something like, ‘There are other reasons,’ and then claim, ‘It’s bad to die; he died on his own accord.’”

It has been confirmed that the information Tachibana spread about the late former Hyogo Prefectural Director and former Prefectural Assemblyman Hideaki Takeuchi was false, but Tachibana never admits ‘I was wrong’ nor shows any remorse. It’s ultimately pointless to argue with someone who insists ‘I’m right’ even when they’re clearly wrong.

Now, regarding Tachibana himself, on April 24, at the House of Representatives’ General Affairs Committee, Kotaro Tatsumi of the Japanese Communist Party demanded swift measures from the police and government, citing the threats to victims’ and their families’ lives and livelihoods caused by slander, human rights violations, and violence on the internet.

Tachibana has repeatedly engaged in persistent harassment — including publicly revealing the home address of a party volunteer who died on April 9, making speeches and threats in front of Hyogo Prefectural Assemblyman Kenichi Okutani’s home (chairman of the special committee), and releasing a false animation containing sexual content about Ayaka Otsu, leader of the “Minna de Tsukuru To” party, during the Tokyo gubernatorial election.

Tatsumi condemned these actions as:

“This kind of public shaming does not end online; it’s a despicable act that causes real harm in people’s everyday lives.”

Moreover, Minister of Internal Affairs Seiichiro Murakami stated in response:

“This is a serious issue, and we will take measures against illegal and harmful information.”

Ms. Otsu filed a criminal complaint in September 2024, which has been accepted. According to a national newspaper social affairs reporter:

“Once accepted, the police will undoubtedly begin an investigation.”

A reporter from an Osaka TV station added:

“The police have also started moving on the case regarding Assemblyman Okutani and possible violations of the Public Offices Election Law.”

How much longer will Tachibana’s supporters be able to cheer As expected of Takashi Tachibana! — only time will tell.