Japanese government admits editing official cabinet picture

The Japanese government has admitted to tweaking an official group photo of a newly appointed cabinet to make it look more presentable.

Japan’s government may have only just phased out floppy disks, but it’s fully embracing modern technology when it comes to portraying officials in the best possible light.

The top government spokesman said on Monday (October 7th) that the group picture of a newly appointed cabinet was edited before it was posted on official channels.

In pictures taken by the media last week, patches of white shirts worn by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Defence Minister Gen Nakatani are visible under their morning suits.

However, these white blemishes have disappeared from the official photo released by Ishiba’s office – apparently in response to online comments about an “ill-fitting” cabinet and “sagging pants.”

Speaking to reporters during a regular press conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi admitted the government tweaked the photo, adding that it was not the first time.

"Group photos taken at official events will remain as memories for the participants for years to come. Therefore, we have made minor edits," Hayashi said, according to Kyodo News.

Japan gov't admits group photo of new Cabinet editedhttps://t.co/Vih9BWnLuO#Japan #Cabinet #photo

undefined Kyodo News | Japan (@kyodo_english) October 7, 2024

The Japanese media was quick to point out that Ishiba took office promising to restore public trust in politics after a series of scandals affecting the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Kate Middleton, Britain’s Princess of Wales, caused controversy in March after editing a picture of herself and her children that the palace released. She apologized as major news agencies announced they had withdrawn the manipulated photo.

“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” the Princess of Wales said in the statement released at the time. “I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused.”

Official pictures are under increased scrutiny amid growing concerns over deepfakes – images created with artificial intelligence – and their effect on public trust and the security of information.