Controversy Over 5 Ruling Party Officials Dining Together on the Day Japan Extended the State of Emergency

▲ Toshihiro Nikai, Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Controversy has arisen as five ruling party executives held a dinner gathering on the same day the Japanese government decided to extend and expand the COVID-19 state of emergency.

According to the Asahi Shimbun and Tokyo Shimbun on the 18th, five executives from both parties, including Toshihiro Nikai, Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party, and Keiichi Ishii, Secretary-General of the Komeito Party, held a dinner gathering at a Japanese restaurant in Tokyo the previous afternoon.

That evening, the Japanese government held a COVID-19 task force meeting chaired by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and decided to extend the state of emergency deadline for six metropolitan local governments, including Tokyo, and additionally impose the state of emergency on seven more metropolitan local governments.

As the government requested restraint on gatherings of five or more people as part of COVID-19 measures, the revelation that five ruling party executives held a dinner gathering sparked criticism on social networking services (SNS) within Japan.

Moriya Hiroshi, LDP Parliamentary Countermeasures Committee Chairman who attended the dinner, stated, "It was an important meeting," and added, "We did not talk while eating."

He explained that the attendees did not converse during the meal but exchanged opinions on COVID-19 measures after dining.

Another attendee, Takagi Yosuke, Komeito Parliamentary Countermeasures Committee Chairman, said they wore masks while exchanging opinions.

When asked by reporters whether the public could hold similar gatherings, Takagi explained, "It was a meeting, not a dinner gathering."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.