The people of Japan have many codes and ways of life that they take very seriously. Their code of personal responsibility and their humble attitude at all levels makes for a very noble and almost regal way of life. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is no exception to this rule.
Announced on May 29th, the PM said his son would be resigning as the executive policy secretary as a sign of resentment for his use of the prime minister’s residence for a party. At this party, the guests drank and carried on, with some of the photos being sold to a newspaper. Held on December 30th as a year-end party, his eldest son invited over numerous people, including some relatives.
Of the photos, the people of Japan most took offense to the posed photos of people standing at a podium as if at a news conference, and on red-carpeted stairs, and posed with the son at the center. Much like the elder Kishida would be with his cabinet members.
Talking with reporters on the 29th, the PM said, “As secretary for (the prime minister’s) political affairs, a public position, his actions were inappropriate and I decided to replace him to have him take responsibility.” He later announced that another secretary, Takayoshi Yamamoto, would step into his shoes as of 1 June.
Kishida also acknowledged he was at the party to initially welcome guests but said he did not stay for the dinner or after-party.
When the news first broke of the party, Kishida attempted to tell the people that his son had been severely punished, but opposition lawmakers kept up the criticism and fueled public outrage that led to a drop in poll numbers, thus forcing the resignation. Given that he had appointed his son to the position, many saw it as his attempts to groom him to act as his heir, something that led to a tremendous decline in his rating. Given the country’s propensity for generational lawmakers,
This also wasn’t the first time the younger Kishida has faced criticism and gotten his father some flak for his actions. Previously his use of embassy vehicles for sightseeing in Britain and Paris as well as his purchase of souvenirs from luxury stores to give to fellow Cabinet members drew the ire of many in Japan.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno previously described the son’s choice to host a party at the residence as “inappropriate.” Furthermore, he promised that the 100-year-old building would be better managed in the future so that mistakes like this didn’t happen again. With its previous history as the prime minister’s office, it became the PM’s living quarters in 2005 when the new office was officially opened.
His son’s simple act of stepping down is something we would never see President Biden’s son Hunter do. Sure, he stepped away from his appointment as a Naval officer in the Navy Reserve, but only after Joe had his positive cocaine tests ignored. This family has refused to take responsibility for anything they have done wrong.
Both the Biden and the Kishida families are full of pride for their political achievements and accomplishments for what they have done for the people.
Yet, their pride comes from very different directions. The pride of the Kishida family is for doing the best job they can do for the people of Japan. Meanwhile, the Biden family is only proud of how much further they were able to shove the leftist agenda down the throats of the American people or about how many millions they took from the American people and sprinkled across their people.
The difference between the two is incredibly polarizing. Then again, given how well their soccer team keeps their locker room even when a visitor it should come as no surprise. Simply put, the left’s attempts to push us into victimhood are taking us away from the gracious warriors we used to be. Japan on the other hand never left it behind, and now the difference is unable to be ignored.
