Prime Minister under pressure

Uproar in Japan: Party party with go-go dancers

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida

(Bild: AFP/Toru Hanai)

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is under pressure because of a performance by scantily clad dancers at a party event. During questioning in parliament on Wednesday, Kishida said the appearance at a meeting of his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was not in line with his government's "goal" of promoting "diversity".

According to reports in Japanese media, Kishida said that the cabinet is striving for an inclusive society in which the "dignity and diversity" of all people is respected.

Dancers were only scantily clad
Previously, footage of an event organized by an LDP local branch in November had become known, at which women had danced in skimpy costumes and sat on the laps of male participants. According to reports, the guests also slipped the dancers banknotes with their mouths.

Ladies should ensure "diversity" according to the organizers
One of the organizers, LDP politician Tetsuya Kawabata, later justified himself by saying that the "go-go dancers" had been invited to ensure "diversity" at the event. However, the "excitement" over the presence of the women, especially towards the end of the event, had then "exceeded his expectations", the vice chairman of the local party youth told the ANN broadcaster. Kawabata has since resigned.

The nationwide youth organization of the LDP asked for an apology on Monday. Two MPs resigned from their posts in the youth organization, but they want to remain party members and retain their parliamentary seats.

Prime Minister is committed to promoting women in the party
The revelations are extremely embarrassing for the LDP, which has ruled Japan almost uninterruptedly for decades: Kishida had recently presented himself as a promoter of women in the male-dominated Japanese political scene. Since a cabinet reshuffle in September, five of the 20 members of government are women - a record in Japan.