Japanese Prime Minister Under Scrutiny After Gift Distribution to Parliamentary Members
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has faced controversy and mounting pressure following revelations that she offered gifts to members of parliament from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) following their decisive victory in this month’s general election.
In her explanation, as reported by AFP on Wednesday (25 February 2026), Takaichi emphasised that no taxpayer funds were utilised in the gift distribution to LDP parliamentary members.
According to Takaichi, in a statement via social media platform X, more than 300 LDP parliamentary members were given the option to select items from a gift catalogue to celebrate their success in the 8 February election.
She described the gifts as “an expression of appreciation for their success in this extremely difficult election”.
The revelation echoed a dark funds scandal that shook the LDP in 2023, which brought down then-PM Fumio Kishida and triggered voter anger that caused his successor Shigeru Ishiba to lose the coalition’s dominance in both parliamentary chambers last year.
Opposition leader Junya Ogawa of the Reform Alliance remarked on Tuesday (24 April) that news of the gift catalogue “could easily prompt people to say, ‘Prime Minister Takaichi, you too?’”.
“This is a further development in which she will be held fully accountable,” Ogawa stated via social media platform X.
Takaichi told Japanese parliament on Wednesday (25 February) that the cost of each gift, including delivery and tax charges, amounted to approximately 30,000 yen, equivalent to approximately 3.2 million rupiah, per person and was paid from the Nara branch LDP political fund that she heads.
She added that she hoped the gifts for parliamentary members “would be beneficial in their future work as legislators”.
Japanese political funding laws stipulate that individuals cannot make donations to candidates for public office, but donations may be made by political parties, including local party branches.
A report by Bunshun Online, the web version of weekly tabloid Shukan Bunshun, noted that the gift catalogue originated from Kintetsu Department Store, a renowned establishment in Japan.
The department store’s website displays various catalogues, with consumers able to make advance payments of 34,000 yen to send one of these catalogues to a friend, who then selects items from it, such as bicycles, expensive crab meat, or stays at luxury hotels.
Former PM Ishiba faced criticism in March last year for allegedly distributing gift certificates valued at 100,000 yen (approximately 10.7 million rupiah) — paid using his own personal funds — to 15 first-term Diet members during a dinner gathering.