"Sanae Takaichi," Japan's Prime Minister, admitted in parliament to giving gift catalogs worth 30,000 yen each to all 315 LDP lawmakers who won the February 8 election, to thank them for enduring a tough battle. She stressed that this was not illegal since the funds came from the Nara branch's party fund, not public tax money, amid heightened scrutiny over political transparency.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi acknowledged before the House of Representatives that she sent gift catalogs to congratulate all Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmakers elected in the general election on February 8. However, she insisted that this action "does not violate any laws."
Takaichi said the LDP's Nara 2nd district branch, which she chairs, used its political party funds to send product catalog books to all 315 party lawmakers, setting the gift value at about 30,000 yen (approximately 5,971 baht) each, covering both the products and shipping costs.
Responding to opposition lawmakers' questions, Takaichi said, "We gave these gifts on behalf of the party branch to celebrate the hard-fought election victory," adding via the X platform that the money used was not government subsidies derived from taxpayers' money.
According to a report by Bunshun Online, the catalogs came from the well-known Japanese department store Kintetsu. The store's website shows recipients can choose products as they wish, ranging from lifestyle items such as bicycles and expensive foods like giant crab meat to vouchers for stays at luxury hotels.
This disclosure comes amid public distrust regarding "money and politics," following the LDP's late 2023 scandal involving "off-the-books bribes," which severely affected the party's popularity in the 2024 and 2025 elections during former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's tenure.
Additionally, in March last year, Ishiba himself faced heavy criticism for distributing 100,000 yen vouchers to 15 first-term lawmakers during a dinner gathering.
Japan's political funding law prohibits "individuals" from donating money or goods directly to election candidates but allows "political parties" or "local party branches" to make donations or provide support. This is the key reason Prime Minister Takaichi insists that distributing gifts through the Nara party branch fully complies with regulations.
Currently, the LDP and the Japan Innovation Party hold three-quarters of the seats in the House of Representatives, making opposition scrutiny over this issue a matter of significant public interest regarding whether it will affect the stability of the current government.