Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga recently “getting into trouble” for participating in a dinner party. According to a report from the Japan Jiji News Agency on the 16th, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga attended the end-of-year dinner on the evening of the 14th, and his colleagues also included other senior government officials.
It is reported that Yoshihide Suga announced on the 14th at a meeting of the Headquarters for the Prevention of COVID-19 Infection, that the national tourism support project “Go To Travel” (Go To Travel) will be suspended, and the maximum pandemic prevention measures will be taken around the New Year.
After the meeting, Yoshihide Suga went to a steak restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo to participate in a dinner party. He was accompanied by Toshihiro Nikai, secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, and well-known Japanese actors and political critics. There were 8 people in total, all of whom were all ages. Over 70 years old.
After leaving the restaurant, 76-year-old actor Sugi Ryotaro who participated in the dinner told reporters that this was a “year-end party.” Toshihiro Nikai, another dinner party, said that although they took off their masks during the meal, they were careful enough.
Recently, due to the rebound of Coronavirus pandemic, the Japanese government has repeatedly called for reducing the number of people at dinner parties.
However, as the prime minister, Yoshihide Suga “knowingly did not do it.” Japan’s Constitutional Democratic Party member Atsumi Azumi criticized: “The Prime Minister is happily eating steak while calling for self-restraint.
This will make him lose the support of the people.” Many netizens criticized on Japanese social networks. “It is disappointing that the Prime Minister did not set the proper example to the people.” “Faced with the current national crisis, how can the Prime Minister have the mood to eat high-quality steak leisurely?”
According to Japan’s “Tokyo Shimbun” report, in response to the controversy of Yoshihide Suga’s participation in dinners, Japan’s Minister of Economic Rebirth, Yasuhiro Nishimura, said in the House of Representatives on the 16th that there is no problem with the prime minister’s approach, because the regulations do not prohibit all dinners of more than 5 people.
At a press conference held on the same day, Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu said that the prime minister “contacts people in different fields to listen to diverse opinions.” According to a report from Kyodo News on the 16th, Yoshihide Suga said in an interview at the Prime Minister’s residence that he participated in the dinner party and said that he “is in deep reflection.”
