Japan PM hopeful Kishida slammed over ‘wife maid’ Twitter photo, as Suga makes bid
- The former foreign minister, 63, attracted a swift backlash for sharing a picture showing his wife serving him a meal in an apron
- The controversy came as Abe’s top aide Yoshihide Suga, seen as the clear front runner, announced his bid to replace his boss
The image, posted on Monday night, shows the politician seated in a suit and tie as his wife serves him a meal in an apron, with Kishida saying he was grateful she had travelled from his hometown 800km away to support him in Tokyo.
Analysts say Suga, the top government spokesman, is all but assured of getting the role, and by default, becoming Japan’s next prime minister.
Kishida has been at pains to present himself as part of the more progressive element of the LDP … this rather shatters that image
After he posted the photo, comments flew fast and unflattering, with one Twitter user saying, “I thought it was a servant”. Someone else added, “it’s a master and a maid, or perhaps a restaurant customer and a waitress”.
Another user said: “I immediately felt sick when I saw this. And I am an LDP supporter. It gives me the impression of a maid waiting on him. Wow.”
Other Twitter posts suggested that Kishida, 63, could have helped his public image by releasing a photo of him and his wife enjoying a meal as a couple, and said that he must have been unaware that the now-controversial picture could trigger criticism.
“Kishida has been at pains to present himself as part of the more progressive element of the LDP, the more liberal wing of the party, but this rather shatters that image,” said Noriko Hama, a professor of economics at Kyoto’s Doshisha University.
“It was a strange decision to post this given that he does go out of his way to portray himself as a new face for the party,” she said.
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“But I guess this means that we are finally seeing the real person behind the mask,” Hama added. “Masks do have a habit of slipping when the stakes are high and this is what has happened.”
Hama said there was “not a chance” of Kishida winning the post of party leader even before the photo went out on Twitter, as the next president had already been arranged in a “back room deal” between the factions of the LDP.
The damage from the controversy could well be permanent, as the photo will always be cited as an example of his attitude towards women, Hama said.
“This is going to have a hugely negative impact on his future chances in the party,” she said. “It was a really foolish thing to do.”
On Wednesday, Abe’s top aide Suga, 71, formally announced his bid to replace his boss, with the party’s powerful factions indicating they would give him enough votes to win the party election set for September 14.
Suga pledged to “do my utmost to continue the work of party leader Abe, who poured his spirit and strength into the job”.
Between factions that have already indicated support for Suga and the dozen or so lawmakers in his own non-aligned camp, his tally already stands at 276 votes – about 10 more than he would need to assume leadership of the ruling party.
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Victory would all but ensure Suga’s rise to become Japan’s first new prime minister in almost eight years, since the ruling LDP will hold sway over a parliament vote on or about September 16 to confirm the new leader.
The only other declared candidates – former Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Kishida – face long odds as the party’s biggest factions line up for Suga.
Suga served as the back room enforcer who helped Abe turn an unlikely comeback into a record-breaking run as prime minister. He fended off daily questions as the Abe government weathered several scandals during its nearly eight years in power.
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The LDP on Tuesday opted for an expedited voting system that favours lawmakers over rank-and-file members. Ishiba won the rank-and-file vote over Abe in 2012, but lost the overall race. Suga has already secured support from five of LDP’s seven biggest factions, excluding those led by Ishiba and Kishida.
Abe first resigned from office in 2007, citing a digestive disorder. When he returned in 2012, expectations for an extended spell at the top were low. Suga’s management of the party and tighter control of the bureaucracy were among the factors that kept Abe’s administration on an even keel.
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Having served as Abe’s top political captain, Suga would be the most seamless successor in terms of economic policy. Suga has frequently emphasised the importance of reviving the pandemic-hit economy.
He has also shown an occasional willingness to play to the public by calling for cheaper mobile phone rates and helping exempt food from the 2019 sales tax increase. Expanding inbound tourism and building Japan’s first gambling resorts are also among his pet projects.
Additional reporting by AFP
