Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara said at a press conference on Monday that Prime Minister Takaichi consumed no alcohol at a dinner held at the prime minister's official residence shortly before a G7 online leaders' meeting, according to 読売新聞. The dinner, with Liberal Democratic Party executives including Vice President Aso, took place just ahead of the October 2 meeting, which Takaichi did not attend.
Kihara stressed that the prime minister had drunk nothing at the gathering. He said she stayed away in case the agenda was expanded or other developments made her participation necessary, 読売新聞 reports.
The remarks came in response to questions about the absence, and several Japanese outlets, including テレ朝NEWS and 時事ドットコム, carried the same account of the government's denial of reports about drinking before the meeting. 朝日新聞 reported that some voices suggested an hour would have been enough to prepare, a detail that points to continuing scrutiny of the official explanation.
The government has offered no further account beyond Kihara's statement. Watch for any additional explanation from the prime minister's office or questions in the Diet about how the decision to skip the meeting was made.
