TOKYO, May 24 (Xinhua) -- More details have emerged over allegations that the team of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hired individuals to produce online smear videos targeting political rivals, with the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun reporting Sunday that it possesses evidence related to the case.
According to the report on the online edition of the Japanese weekly magazine, Takaichi's camp focused much of its campaign attacks on rival politician Shinjiro Koizumi during last year's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership race, portraying him as an "incompetent puppet" through videos online.
Numerous videos praising Takaichi were disseminated online during the same period, the report added.
Although Takaichi's side has denied involvement, the magazine said it had obtained substantial evidence supporting the allegations.
The report identified Takaichi aide Takeshi Kinoshita as a central figure in the scandal. Described as one of Takaichi's closest confidants, Kinoshita allegedly contacted video producer Ken Matsui multiple times, instructing him to create and distribute videos attacking Takaichi's rivals within the LDP as well as opposition candidates.
Matsui told the magazine that during the LDP presidential election last year, he generated between 100 and 200 videos per day using artificial intelligence software at Kinoshita's request. About 70 percent of the videos targeted Koizumi, depicting him as an "incompetent puppet" prone to public blunders.
Another 10 percent reportedly attacked rival candidate Yoshimasa Hayashi, while the remaining 20 percent were designed to promote Takaichi.
The report added that during Japan's House of Representatives election in February this year, Matsui was again instructed by Kinoshita to create videos attacking opposition candidates. The videos reportedly labeled Constitutional Democratic Party candidate Sumio Mabuchi as "an amateur harmful to the nation," while accusing another candidate Katsuya Okada of "lying as naturally as breathing."
Takaichi previously denied the allegations during questioning in parliament, saying neither she nor her team had "ever engaged in such activities."
Shukan Bunshun said its latest report is based on 67 pieces of evidence documenting contacts between Kinoshita and Matsui, including text messages and online chat records.
As of Sunday evening, neither the Japanese prime minister's office nor Kinoshita had responded publicly to the latest allegations. ■
