On July 3, Noriko Ishigaki, a 50-year-old current lawmaker from the Constitutional Democratic Party, filed a criminal complaint for defamation with the Miyagi police. She accused Taichi Maeda, a 39-year-old candidate from the NHK Party, of damaging her reputation by posting false claims on his campaign poster.
Maeda’s poster, displayed in Sendai during the Upper House election campaign, said things like “Don’t forgive Ishigaki’s affair scandal!” Ishigaki’s lawyer said this kind of behavior undermines fair elections.
A revised election law that took effect in May bans posters with content that insults other candidates or parties. This is the first national election under the new rule, which was introduced after inappropriate posters appeared during the 2024 Tokyo governor race.
Maeda admitted he put up the poster on party orders and said he’s ready to accept any punishment. The local election board said it can’t comment on whether the law was violated and can’t remove the poster.
Seven candidates, including Ishigaki and Maeda, are running in the Miyagi district.
by MagazineKey4532