Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi drew criticism from opposition parties on Wednesday after admitting to distributing congratulatory gifts worth tens of thousands of yen to ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmakers who won seats in the recent House of Representatives election.

In a parliamentary session, Takaichi said her local LDP chapter used its political funds to send each of her party's 315 lawmakers catalogs listing gifts they could order, with a budget of around 30,000 yen ($192) per person.

Takaichi made the admission while responding to a question from an opposition lawmaker after media reports had revealed the matter on Tuesday.

Opposition parties criticized Takaichi over the issue. "The mindset of handing out gifts and the sense for how to use money reflect the old culture of the LDP, which we cannot overlook," Kyodo News reported, citing Junya Ogawa, leader of the Centrist Reform Alliance.

Japan's Political Funds Control Law imposes strict regulations on donations related to the political activities of public office candidates. Whether Takaichi's actions may constitute a violation of the law has become a focal point of debate.

The latest revelation surfaced amid lingering public distrust over money and politics, particularly toward the LDP, after many of its lawmakers were implicated in a slush fund scandal that came to light in late 2023.

After taking office in October 2025, Takaichi appointed several scandal-tainted figures to key government posts. Takaichi herself was accused in December last year of accepting a political donation exceeding the legal limit, fueling public anger.