Two Japanese politicians disavow neo-Nazi links
Two newly promoted Japanese politicians sought on Monday to distance themselves from allegations of extremism after pictures emerged of them posing with the leader of a Japanese neo-Nazi party.
Sanae Takaichi, the minister of internal affairs and communications, and Liberal Democratic Party policy chief Tomomi Inada are seen in separate photographs next to Kazunari Yamada on the home page of the National Socialist Japanese Workers Party.
The pictures will add fuel to claims that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is increasingly surrounding himself with people on the extreme right of Japanese politics.
Yamada's blog postings indicate admiration for Adolf Hitler and praise for the 9/11 terrorist attack on New York City's World Trade Center.
In video footage posted on the website, Yamada is seen wearing a stylized swastika during street demonstrations.
Captions for the photographs claim they were taken "sometime in June or July 2011 when (Yamada) visited the conservative lawmakers for talks".
Spokesmen for both senior lawmakers acknowledged on Monday that the photographs were genuine and had been taken in their offices over the last few years, but denied there was any political affiliation.
"He was an assistant for an interviewer, and was taking notes and photos, "an employee at Takaichi's office told AFP, referring to Yamada.
"We had no idea who he was back then, but he requested a snap shot with her. (The minister) wouldn't refuse such requests."
Following media inquiries, the office has asked that the pictures be removed, he said.
"It was careless of us, "he said, adding that Takaichi did not share Yamada's view "at all....It is a nuisance".
A staffer at Inada's office said the Liberal Democratic Party policy chief does not subscribe to Nazi ideology.
"It is disappointing if there are people who would misunderstand that she does, "he said.
Abe's equivocations on the wartime Japanese military's formalized system of sex slavery-the victims of which were known euphemistically as "comfort women"-have angered South Korea and China, and both regularly call on him to rethink his views.
Abe's new 18-strong Cabinet, announced last week, includes a number of people with hawkish views.
(China Daily 09/09/2014 page11)
