Prime Minister Takaichi Faces “Reverse Negative Campaigning” Backlash as G7 “Lone Figure” Video Goes Viral; The “True Identity” of the Cabinet Public Relations Officer Rushing to Put Out the Fire

Images of her “lonely” appearance at the G7 went viral on social media

It’s a boomerang for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (65)—

Allegations have surfaced that the Takaichi camp ran negative campaigns against rival candidates during last year’s LDP presidential election and this year’s House of Representatives election. While the secretary to Prime Minister Takaichi—a key figure in the matter—has denied any involvement, there’s no denying that these campaigns influenced the outcome of the presidential election and the ruling party’s landslide victory in the House of Representatives election. That’s just how effective social media has become as a communication tool in modern society.

Now, however, Prime Minister Takaichi herself is on the receiving end of a negative campaign.

Footage capturing Prime Minister Takaichi “spinning her wheels” at the Group of Seven (G7) Summit held in France on June 16 (Japan time) has been spreading widely on social media.

The summit was attended by world leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Kea Starmer, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.In the widely shared video, Takaichi is seen sitting all alone at a roundtable—presumably before the meeting began.

In another scene, while the other world leaders stood around the roundtable chatting, Ms. Takaichi was spinning her swivel chair. In other instances, she smiled and tried to strike up a conversation with President Trump, only to be ignored, and spoke with Prime Minister Meloni without an interpreter, but they failed to connect.

The ultimate example came when the world leaders gathered outdoors: while President Macron, standing right in front of her, was shaking hands and chatting with other leaders, Prime Minister Takaichi—sandwiched between them—smiled and moved her lips as if she were actually participating in their conversation.Some have mockingly referred to this as “air conversation.”

While Prime Minister Takaichi has become a prime target for jokes, it’s important to note that the widely circulated footage is a selective clip.

In fact, in an article published on June 18 by “FNN Prime Online,” a reporter who accompanied the delegation examined the “lonely diplomacy” claims in a piece bearing the reporter’s byline.

“Based on my on-site reporting, this is the exact opposite of the truth. Prime Minister Takaichi used her free time to actively approach leaders from various countries and engage with them. I have witnessed similar behavior on many previous overseas trips I’ve accompanied her on,”

the reporter testified. In fact, it is said that Prime Minister Takaichi led the discussions, while British Prime Minister Starmer and others nodded in deep agreement.

Appointed as Director-General of the Cabinet Public Relations Office in January of this year

In response, a source in Nagatacho said:

“What’s being circulated is a smear campaign against Prime Minister Takaichi, isn’t it? Around the time of the House of Representatives election, all we saw were videos praising the prime minister, but lately it’s the opposite. There’s been an increase in videos highlighting Prime Minister Takaichi’s suspicious behavior and questioning her qualifications.It’s pure spin. In other words, she’s being subjected to a ‘reverse smear campaign.’ However, as long as the allegations of a smear campaign against her remain unresolved, the Prime Minister can’t really protest, can she?”

they said.

In place of Prime Minister Takaichi, the “Cabinet Public Relations Officer” on X is scrambling to put out the fire.

On May 1, the account stated:

“To share insights on the Prime Minister from a close-up perspective in a more flexible and timely manner,”

and had been sharing Prime Minister Takaichi’s activities and behind-the-scenes stories on a trial basis. The person behind the account is Cabinet Public Relations Officer Kozo Saeki (51). With over 100,000 followers, the account has been operating as an official account since June 1.

“Mr. Saeki is a rising star who was handpicked to serve as the Prime Minister’s Executive Secretary at the age of 42 during Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration. He primarily worked as a speechwriter for Prime Minister Abe.He assumed the position of Chief Cabinet Public Relations Officer in Prime Minister Takaichi’s cabinet this past January. It seems the Prime Minister wants to better convey her views to the public, such as by taking the lead in press conferences,” said a Nagatacho insider cited earlier.

A glance at the account reveals an abundance of photos of Prime Minister Takaichi interacting with leaders from various countries, as if to dispel the “loner” rumors surrounding the G7 summit. Starting June 19, the account launched a three-part series titled “Prime Minister Takaichi’s G7 Summit Outcomes,” highlighting diplomatic achievements on the Prime Minister’s behalf.

Political commentator Harumi Arima told this website,

“Prime Minister Takaichi likely views diplomacy as a way to ‘score points’ with the public. To that end, she is probably having the Cabinet Public Relations Officer’s X account post a steady stream of photos from her meetings with foreign leaders to showcase her activities,”

he said.

While this account is intended to showcase the Prime Minister’s efforts both domestically and internationally, it will likely eventually take on the role of putting out fires regarding media reports and unverified social media information. Prime Minister Takaichi also makes frequent use of X, but care must be taken to ensure that communication does not become a one-way street.