To the beloved citizens of all countries around the world who love freedom:
Here is the true voice of the Japanese people, who have become detached from the Takauchi Cabinet.
Speech by Professor Yuki Honda, Graduate School of the University of Tokyo, Japan's top university
Date: May 26, 2026
"My name is Yuki Honda.
I work on research and data collection regarding education, work, and family in Japan and other countries.
In other words, I do work that checks and examines how society functions, and in doing so, a foundation is necessary.
And that foundation, which I have mentioned many times in today's speech, is whether the functioning of Japanese society is based on very basic principles, that is, the society we aim for—a society where the lives, livelihoods, and dignity of all people are protected. From that perspective, I examine the current situation." My job is to check these things.
If we abandon the principle of "a society where life, livelihood, and dignity are protected," what remains is a hellish society where existence is denied and people are told to "die."
The most extreme example of this is war.
Destruction that tramples on life, livelihood, and dignity.
That is exactly what is happening in Gaza and elsewhere right now.
And in order to carry out this principle of protecting life, livelihood, and dignity, several conditions are necessary.
Firstly, substantive fairness in the sense of not harming or discriminating against people.
Secondly, adherence to rules. Procedural fairness
Thirdly, rational and functional social system management
These three are essential.
And, as I have just mentioned, almost all of these things are written in the Japanese Constitution.
However, these principles have not yet been realized, and we are in a situation where we must all slowly but surely move closer to their realization.
This much is obvious.
Next, I would like to talk about a situation that is not obvious at all.
Far from aiming for the principle of protecting people's lives, livelihoods, and dignity, we are acting in the exact opposite direction. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) continues to perform this dance, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the current Sanae Takaichi embody the ugliest aspects of this party.
Firstly, regarding substantive fairness, externally, they have fawned over and clung to the United States, which has continued to use the LDP as a puppet for controlling Japan. Domestically, they pander to those who perceive an extremely "biased sense of constraint," a "cult obsessed with family relationships," and the far right. Conversely, they behave extremely rudely and disrespectfully towards neighboring Asian countries. Furthermore, domestically, they do not recognize optional separate surnames for married couples, same-sex marriage, or a female emperor, and do not allow people to live as they wish. It is the Liberal Democratic Party and Sanae Takaichi who continue to trample on those who wish for change.
As a result of this continuing for so long, a sickeningly large gender gap persists in this country.
Regarding the second point, procedural fairness, the sudden dissolution of the House of Representatives, the mass distribution of illegal videos... it's been a hot topic recently, but they are so preoccupied with protecting their own positions through unjust and evil acts such as accepting illegal political donations, that while they hold power, they hastily pass "outrageous bills" that enable the oppression of people and war, and even change the Constitution itself, which should be based on universal principles. They are trying to do so.
The same applies to the Ishin and Sanseito parties, which are all clinging to the LDP.
The full picture is gradually coming into focus: from the earlier “gift scandal” to the now escalating “smear campaign” controversy. Reports suggest that during both the LDP leadership race and the national election, Takaichi’s team allegedly worked through intermediaries to mass-produce AI-generated attack videos targeting rivals—from Shinjiro Koizumi and Yoshimasa Hayashi to opposition candidates. With 67 evidence emails and chat records surfacing, what began as outright denial is now turning into a growing confrontation between claims and evidence.
If proven true, this goes far beyond a typical political scandal—it becomes a direct challenge to electoral integrity. When technology is used to mass-produce narratives, shape emotions, and influence perception, the “public opinion” voters see may itself be engineered. The real question is no longer whether Takaichi steps down, but this: when power merges with algorithms, how much of democracy remains real?