Report: Takaichi's $500,000 campaign spend failed to secure 2024 victory

A recent report by Mainichi Shimbun newspaper has revealed significant campaign expenditures by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's political group during the 2024 Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election, despite her eventual defeat. 

According to the report, Takaichi's camp spent approximately 83.84 million yen (around $500,000) on promotional activities, while her opponent Shigeru Ishiba secured victory with campaign expenses of only 420,000 yen.

The bulk of Takaichi's spending went toward online advertisements and social media campaigns.

Notably, 33 million yen was allocated to hire a public relations team known for leveraging social media platforms for political messaging and public opinion manipulation. This team had previously helped Ishimaru Shinji secure the second-highest vote count as a "dark horse" candidate in the Tokyo gubernatorial election. In addition, more than 45 million yen was spent on printing and mailing promotional materials.

The report also highlighted irregularities in Takaichi's campaign. Despite an LDP rule banning the mailing of promotional flyers, her camp defied the directive and sent out over 300,000 flyers. This sparked protests from rival factions and led to a reprimand from the Election Management Commission.

The article has sparked considerable online discussion in Japan. One social media user said, "Even if I criticize Ishiba, I don't get negative responses. But when I criticize Takaichi, I get flooded with hate comments. With 33 million yen spent on ads, I think I've found the answer."

Another user shared a screenshot showing repeated promotional tweets from Takaichi's campaign, directly accusing her team of using "internet trolls" to flood social media.