Japanese Media: "Takaichi Spent 80 Million Won on Return Gifts in 3 Years Before Becoming Prime Minister"
Local media have reported that Sanae Takaichi, Prime Minister of Japan, spent tens of millions of won in political funds on purchasing gifts in the past. Prime Minister Takaichi has recently stirred controversy by distributing expensive gifts to Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) winners immediately after the House of Representatives election (general election).
According to the Tokyo Shimbun on February 28, the Nara 2nd District branch of the LDP, headed by Prime Minister Takaichi, spent a total of 8,689,945 yen (approximately 80 million won) on 24 occasions at Kintetsu Department Store in Osaka from 2022 to 2024 for the purchase of "return gifts." In particular, on December 25, 2024, which was Christmas Day, about 1.71 million yen (approximately 15.8 million won) worth of return gifts were purchased. There were four instances in which more than 1 million yen (about 9.24 million won) was spent on gifts in a single day. Political funds were used for these return gifts.
The media outlet reported, "Purchasing return gifts at Kintetsu using political funds is akin to distributing catalog gifts to all LDP lawmakers." It was also revealed that the gifts Prime Minister Takaichi gave to LDP members after the general election were wrapped in Kintetsu Department Store packaging. This raises suspicions that the use of political funds for return gifts has been an entrenched practice for some time.
However, the Prime Minister's office stated, "Political funds are being properly handled and reported in accordance with the law." The opposition has criticized this as a recurrence of the LDP's "political fund" malpractice.
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On February 8, following the general election, Prime Minister Takaichi distributed catalog gifts worth 30,000 yen (about 280,000 won) each to all 315 newly elected LDP members except herself, causing further controversy. The total amount reached 10 million won (10.7 million yen). Catalog gifts are booklets that allow recipients to choose their preferred goods or services.
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