Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addresses a press conference at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo, Japan, April 15 2026. [Photo/Agencies]
TOKYO - A complaint has been filed with prosecutors against Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her secretary, Takeshi Kinoshita, alleging violations of Japan's political funds control law, including making false entries in political funding reports.
The complaint was filed by Hiroshi Kamiwaki, a constitutional law professor at Kobe Gakuin University, who disclosed the matter on the social media platform X on Monday.
Kamiwaki found, after examining the internal accounting records from Takaichi's office, that funds paid by corporate executives for political fundraising party tickets were allegedly recorded as individual political donations, resulting in false entries in political funds reports. Furthermore, since ticket purchasers could claim income tax deductions under the guise of "donations," the conduct is also suspected of constituting tax evasion and aiding tax evasion.
Documents obtained by Kamiwaki indicate that the practice dates back more than a decade and appears to have been carried out on a long-term and systematic basis. In the complaint and accompanying explanatory materials submitted to prosecutors, he described the alleged conduct as "particularly egregious."
