Khaldon Azhari

TOKYO: The ruling Japanese Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is set to establish a special dedicated section for foreign journalists and media in a move that could open up the traditional closed doors of Japan’s restrictive press clubs, KONO Taro, the party’s head of Public Relations announced on Thursday.

Speaking at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan, Kono stated: “I came to the FCCJ, which has been shunned by prime ministers and cabinet ministers for years, to tell you that the LDP is now open to the foreign media and foreign journalists.”

Kono was the only cabinet minister in recent years to speak at the renowned FCCJ. Japanese government officials have avoided the risk associated with opening up to FCCJ correspondents and facing the kind of direct questions that are rare in Japanese journalistic circles.

Famously, Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka resigned in 1974 after a heated press conference at the FCCJ. 

Kono has nominated Kenji Nakanishi, a member of the House of Representatives, to handle briefings for the media and promised to encourage LDP politicians to talk to foreign correspondents.

“We would love to have you at the LDP headquarters,” Kono said. “We really haven’t had a chance to do briefings in English and I think it’s really necessary to tell you what we are thinking while we are leading the Kishida government.”

Kono, the former foreign, defense and vaccination, and administrative reforms’ minister, lost the LDP presidential election in October to the current PM Fumio Kishida, but his high-profile social media popularity earned him the post of LDP public relations chief, not usually considered a senior party post.

But Kono’s 2 million followers on social media has helped to make the politician – and perhaps his party – more popular. Kono believes that more transparency will also help the party.

“We can achieve more goals especially opening up our party more than ever,” Kono said.