The Untold Story Behind Tachibana’s Sudden Arrest—and the Fear That Prompted It

Spreading false information such as “He was supposed to be arrested tomorrow.”

Takahashi Tachibana (58), leader of the “Party to Protect the People from NHK” (NHK Party), was arrested by the Hyōgo Prefectural Police on November 9 on suspicion of defamation against former Hyōgo Prefectural Assembly member Hideaki Takeuchi (deceased).

In December last year, Tachibana himself ran in the Hyōgo gubernatorial election in which Motohiko Saito (47) was a candidate, declaring he would provide double horsepower and support Saito’s reelection. Meanwhile, he made statements toward Takeuchi, who was a member of the prefectural investigative committee:

“It’s definitely true that he is being questioned by the police,”

and other such remarks.

The day after Takeuchi died by suicide in January this year, reportedly distressed by online defamation, Tachibana spread false information such as:

“It seems he was scheduled to be arrested tomorrow,”

and so on. In June this year, Takeuchi’s family filed a criminal complaint against Tachibana.

In defamation cases, indictments are generally issued without arrest, and arrests involving physical detention are unusual. Tachibana had long boasted:

“I won’t run or hide,”

and had cooperated with voluntary questioning. However, the Hyōgo Prefectural Police judged:

“There is a risk of flight or evidence destruction,”

and proceeded with the arrest. It is believed that his visit to Dubai at the end of last month was viewed as problematic. According to a political reporter from a national newspaper:

“Dubai is the place where Yoshikazu Higashitani, known as GaaSyy, fled abroad after an arrest warrant was issued for him on charges such as intimidation. The police may have developed concerns. On the other hand, Tachibana has already announced his candidacy for the Ito City mayoral election in Shizuoka (official notice on December 7, voting on the 14th), so the police’s grounds for detention may seem somewhat contrived. In any case, it’s certain the police are serious. Since this is a major arrest, they surely coordinated with the prosecutors beforehand.”

We interviewed attorney Kyosuke Nishiwaki, former head of the TV Asahi legal department, about why the Hyōgo Prefectural Police intentionally proceeded with an arrest:

“When the police arrest someone, the basic reasons are fear of flight and fear of evidence destruction. This time, Tachibana’s trip to Dubai at the end of October likely raised concerns that he might flee. Also, Tachibana has already received a sentence of two years and six months in prison, suspended for four years, for a previous intimidation conviction. This incident occurred during his suspension period, so if he’s found guilty, the suspension could be revoked, and there’s a high chance he would face actual prison time. In that case, it’s natural for the police to think he might attempt to flee to avoid going to prison.”

Tachibana’s suspension period runs from March 22, 2023, to March 22, 2027.

It’s fine even if I have to go to prison once

Attorney Nishiwaki further added:

“As for evidence destruction, the defamatory statements themselves are already public and cannot be erased now, but witness intimidation is possible. If Mr. Tachibana’s posts on social media act as a kind of dog whistle that prompts his followers to attack people involved in the case or the victim’s family, it could make it impossible to obtain the testimony that should be available. The police may well have been concerned about that.”

He analyzed that there may have been reasons specific to Tachibana for the arrest.

Looking at the penalties for defamation:

“Imprisonment or detention for up to three years, or a fine of up to 500,000 yen.”

In most cases, the punishment ends with a fine, but in this case, a person’s life has been lost. Whether that is treated as minor depends on the judge’s discretion.

“Since Mr. Takeuchi himself has passed away, the testimony of the bereaved family becomes crucial. Moreover, while it was Tachibana who spread the false information, we must carefully examine whether it directly incited defamation. The Tachibana side appears to hope for a fine, but many question whether a fine alone is appropriate in a case where someone died. Public interest in this case is extremely high, and if there is any element of a deterrent example, it would not be surprising if a harsher ruling is handed down given the circumstances.”

said a staff member of a major TV station in Osaka.

With the rise of social media, false information, malicious posts, and online harassment have become social problems. Many see Tachibana’s arrest as a warning example in such an environment.

How will the court judge this case? Attorney Nishiwaki continued:

“If this results only in a fine, then it’s up to the court to decide whether to revoke the previous suspended sentence. However, the likelihood of only receiving a fine is low. Beyond the seriousness of the case itself, the court will certainly emphasize the fact that the offense occurred during a suspended sentence period. If someone who received a suspended sentence for intimidation commits another offense of a similar nature—like defamation—during that period, it’s difficult to imagine the court settling for a fine.”

On the other hand, Tachibana reportedly told those around him:

“It’s fine even if I have to go to prison once.”

These days, one can send out information even from behind bars. Someone familiar with Tachibana said:

“He had anticipated the possibility of arrest, so he didn’t panic. If anything, he may see it as good material for publicity. In a way, being arrested may make him an even more troublesome presence going forward.”

All we can do now is watch how events unfold.