November 12, 2025

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

The widespread distribution of groundless information on social media influences election results, which is problematic as it undermines the fairness in elections, the backbone of democracy.

A precedent for such a problem was set by Tachibana Takashi, who heads the NHK Party that campaigns against Japan’s public broadcaster, with his remarks and behavior during the Hyogo gubernatorial election campaign in November 2024. The election took place in the wake of whistleblower allegations against Governor Saito Motohiko regarding his power harassment and other misconduct.

Tachibana, with the intention to help Saito, ran in the election. During the election campaign, the NHK Party leader called on voters to support Saito and slandered the whistleblower who was a prefectural government official with false rumors. He also attacked several prefectural assemblypersons, who were members of the special committee investigating the allegations, in street speeches and social media posts.

Tachibana made an unfair attack against Takeuchi Hideaki, one of the special committee members. Tachibana in his street speech called Takeuchi “one of the behind-the-scene players seeking to oust Governor Saito”. Stirred up by Tachibana’s remark, many slanderous and hatred comments about Takeuchi were posted on social media, which drove Takeuchi to suicide in January.

Tachibana was arrested on November 9 on the charge of defaming the former prefectural assemblyperson.

It is unacceptable to trample on someone’s human rights by using the freedom of speech as an excuse. Acts of spreading misinformation with the aim of misleading voters in elections and posting comments on social media aimed at inciting unfair attacks on individuals weaken democracy and fragment society.

Distributing false information, irresponsibly aligning with and spreading such information, and attacking someone based on that information not only cause a chilling effect on free speech but also may lead to government control over social media. The need is for our society to take a firm stance not to tolerate the spread of false information.