Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Tuesday denied claims that the national anthem performance by a Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) sergeant at a Liberal Democratic Party convention constituted a political act.
At the ruling LDP¡¯s annual convention held Sunday, Sgt. Mai Tsugumi of the GSDF Central Band sang the national anthem.
Opposition parties have argued that the performance violated Article 61 of the Self-Defense Forces law, which restricts political activities by SDF members.
However, Koizumi told a news conference that Tsugumi sang the anthem ¡°after receiving a request as a private person,¡± adding that the singing ¡°does not amount to a political act.¡±
Koizumi also explained that the Defense Ministry approved the performance following a request from an event company. He also said that no report on the matter had been submitted to him.
He posted a photograph with Tsugumi on X, formerly Twitter, but later deleted it. The post was removed because he needed to ¡°confirm the facts,¡± he stated.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.