Politics Takayuki Kobayashi， who has announced his candidacy for the LDP presidential election， said he “does not recall” making any statements in sympathy with the doctrines of the former Unification Church．
*August 19, 2024, 18:15 Tokyo Shimbun Former LDP Minister of Economic Security Takayuki Kobayashi (House of Representatives, Chiba 2nd District, 4th term) held a press conference in the Diet on the 19th and announced his candidacy for the party presidential election to be held in September. In July 2021, Kobayashi attended an event co-hosted by a friendly organization of the World Peace Unification Family (formerly the Unification Church) in Yachiyo City, Chiba Prefecture, his constituency. According to a man who attended the event, Kobayashi made statements in his speech that expressed sympathy with the teachings of the former Unification Church. At a press conference, Kobayashi once again denied this allegation, saying, “I have absolutely no recollection of making any of the remarks you have pointed out.” ◆Explanation questionable: “At first glance, it appears to be an event related to the former Unification Church.” At a press conference in August 2022, Kobayashi said, “I don’t remember every word, but I don’t think I made any remarks. “I am not familiar with the teachings of the former Unification Church, so I have not made any statements that would affirm them.” At a press conference on August 19, Kobayashi explained how he came to take part in the July 2021 event, saying, “I was invited by local people, and although it was kind of like a bicycle race, I participated with the understanding that it was a local sporting event. Looking back now, I regret that I should have checked with the organizers more thoroughly and that in a sense it was reckless.” He added, “However, I have never requested election assistance in the past, and I have absolutely no involvement with him, including financial transactions. Obviously, we have no involvement at present, and we have no intention of having any in the future, and we will be very careful to make sure that doesn’t happen.” With Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, who has announced that he will not run in the presidential election, in mind as he has decided to request an order to dissolve the former Unification Church, he also said, “I will also firmly uphold Prime Minister Kishida’s stance toward the former Unification Church.” A man who attended the event commented on Kobayashi’s explanation at the press conference, “It was obvious at first glance that it was an event related to the former Unification Church, with several well-known local church leaders in attendance. “It’s hard to believe that they thought of it as just a local sporting event,” he said. He also said, “There is no way that someone who aspires to become prime minister, an elite who communicates with people of many different races, would not have the judgment to determine whether or not someone is a member of the Unification Church.” Continue reading below.
>>1 ■■■Candidates for the LDP Presidency■■■ [Non-hereditary] Kamikawa Shizuoka Futaba High School → University of Tokyo → Graduate School at Harvard University [Non-hereditary] Takaichi Unebi High School → Kobe University [Non-hereditary] Mogi Ashikaga High School → University of Tokyo → Graduate School at Harvard University [Non-hereditary] Kobayashi Kaisei High School → University of Tokyo → Graduate School at Harvard University [Non-hereditary] Saito Kyokoma (Chikuma) High School → University of Tokyo → Graduate School at Harvard University [Hereditary] Hayashi Shimonoseki Kansai High School → University of Tokyo → Graduate School at Harvard University [Hereditary] Kato Oizumi High School → University of Tokyo [Hereditary] Ishiba Keio High School → Keio University [Hereditary] Kono Keio High School → Keio University → Georgetown University [Hereditary] Koizumi Kanto Gakuin Mutsuura High School → Kanto Gakuin University → Graduate School at Columbia University [Hereditary] Noda Denenchofu Futaba High School → Jonesville High School → Sophia University.
>>10 But the person who ruined Japan by far was Poppo Hatoyama, who donated gas fields to China’s Wen Jiabao during the Democratic Party administration.
The Yamagami trial has been left unattended, and the outcome of Tsubo’s request for a dissolution order is unclear. This shows that they are clearly planning to weaken the pressure on Tsubo after the election.
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