In Japan, Kishida’s ruling LDP under fire after junior members’ ‘completely unacceptable’ party with ‘go-go dancers’

Two senior members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s youth wing have resigned from their posts after reports surfaced that politicians and their supporters were being entertained by scantily clad dancers at a gathering in central Japan.

The party was organised in November for the youth division of the party in Wakayama prefecture, and reportedly involved banknotes being inserted into dancers’ costumes, and mouth-to-mouth between dancers and participants.

The party confirmed that Takashi Fujiwara, 40, stepped down as director of the LDP’s Youth Division, along with Yasutaka Nakasone, 42, an acting director of the division.

Speaking to the media on Friday, Fujiwara said, “I apologise for my behaviour, which was inappropriate and undermined public trust.”

Renge Jibu, an associate professor specialising in gender and media studies at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, said she initially found it difficult to believe that politicians had taken part in such an event.

“It is unbelievably ridiculous,” she told This Week in Asia. “You could argue that decades ago these sorts of parties used to happen, but under the current standards expected in our society, this is completely unacceptable.”

“It really is hard to believe this sort of thinking still exists,” she said.

According to reports in Japanese media quoting some of the approximately 40 people at the event – the theme of which was “diversity” – five female dancers appeared on stage on two occasions.

In an interview with All Nippon News, Tetsuya Kawahata, the head of the party’s Wakayama youth division and organiser of the event, admitted knowing the “intermediary” who arranged the dancers and was aware the event would include “go-go dancing.”

Asked if he or others had touched