Overview
- Tachibana Takashi, 58, was detained by Hyogo Prefectural Police on November 9 on suspicion of criminal defamation tied to comments about former Hyogo assemblyman Hideaki Takeuchi.
- Investigators allege Tachibana said in a December 2024 street speech that Takeuchi was under police questioning and later posted claims in January 2025 that he faced imminent arrest.
- Takeuchi’s widow, who filed the criminal complaint, said she felt relieved by the arrest and urged that similar harm not be repeated as she continues to monitor the case.
- She described a surge of harassing calls and emails to Takeuchi’s office following the online claims, saying the family’s daily life was upended.
- Attorneys and scholars note that prosecuting defamation after a subject’s death is legally challenging, while suggesting the arrest could deter falsehoods spread by politicians during election periods.