“Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People, is making waves after it was confirmed on the 11th that he is involved in an extramarital affair. There is also growing interest in how this revelation might affect the election for the Prime Minister in Japan’s National Diet scheduled for later that day.
According to the Japanese magazine ‘Flash,’ Tamaki has been secretly meeting for illicit dates at a Tokyo hotel with the ambassador for tourist promotion from Takamatsu. The magazine published a photo of Tamaki leaving a wine bar in Shinjuku wearing a hoodie, followed 20 minutes later by a woman exiting the same place. In a previous report from July, they had shown photos of Tamaki and the woman entering a location suspected of being linked to their affair and quoted Tamaki’s secretary stating that discussions with his family were still ongoing.
Tamaki has largely admitted to the reports. On the same day, NHK reported that Tamaki, in an emergency press conference, said, ‘The report is mostly true. I sincerely apologize to my family and everyone who expected better from me.’ Regarding his future actions, he stated that he wanted to hear opinions from those around him. He intended to listen to feedback during a Democratic Party for the People meeting scheduled for that afternoon before making a final decision. Regarding his position as a member of parliament, Tamaki expressed a desire to continue serving to repay his wrongdoing if forgiveness is possible.
The Democratic Party for the People caused a stir in Japanese politics during last month’s parliamentary election by increasing its seats from seven to 28. Tamaki was credited with successfully focusing on promises of ‘increased real income’ during the election. Additionally, with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito coalition falling 18 seats short of a majority (233 seats), the Democratic Party for the People’s role in securing necessary votes for government budgets and policy approvals became a focal point.
Tamaki further increased the party’s support by leading negotiations with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who is also the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, to raise the income threshold for taxation from the current 1.03 million yen.
However, with Tamaki effectively admitting to the affair, the party’s image faces inevitable damage. Interest is also high regarding the impact on the election for selecting the Prime Minister in the Diet. According to private Japanese broadcaster Fuji News Network, there is currently no strong movement within the party calling for Tamaki’s resignation, suggesting he is likely to continue his leadership role.
Initially, the Democratic Party for the People had decided not to support either Ishiba the current Prime Minister and head of the Liberal Democratic Party, or Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party. The plan was for members of the Democratic Party for the People to vote for Tamaki, effectively making their votes void in the Prime Minister selection process.”