Summary of Minister Hayashi’s Post-Cabinet Press Conference
Overview
At Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Hayashi’s post-Cabinet press conference on September 4, 2026, explanations and questions covered the September disbursement of FY2026 Special Local Allocation Tax for Earthquake Disaster Reconstruction, household survey results, responses following the finding that Japan Post violated the Freelance Act, document management and information disclosure concerning Teams chats within the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and a court judgment concerning the validity of ballots in the Kamisu mayoral election in Ibaraki Prefecture.
Key points
- The September disbursement of Special Local Allocation Tax for Earthquake Disaster Reconstruction was decided and reported at the Cabinet meeting.
- Consumption spending by households of two or more persons decreased by a real 3.6% year on year in July.
- Japan Post was urged to promptly undertake improvement measures following the finding that it violated the Freelance Act.
- The Minister stated that confirming the restoration of Teams chats was unnecessary and said that the Ministry would promptly confirm the relevant parties’ understanding of document management and related matters.
Overview
The press conference was held on September 4, 2026. At the outset, the disbursement of Special Local Allocation Tax for Earthquake Disaster Reconstruction and household survey results were reported. Questions then continued on legal compliance and recurrence prevention concerning Japan Post, the preservation and deletion of chats within the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and responses to information disclosure requests, and the validity of ballots in the Kamisu mayoral election.
Impact
The tax allocation is used to cover local contributions and other costs for recovery and reconstruction projects carried out by municipalities affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, and it was stated that appropriate measures would be taken so that the affected municipalities can proceed smoothly with their projects.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said it would continue to supervise efforts to prevent recurrence so that Japan Post’s compliance with laws and regulations is thoroughly ensured.
Details
It was explained that documents with retention periods of less than one year may be deleted as appropriate once they are no longer needed after the relevant matter has concluded. The timing of the chat deletion was said to be unknown, and even after checking Teams and retained documents, no document containing the reported content could be confirmed. The Minister stated that making comments suggesting inappropriate handling in chats that could constitute administrative documents was improper, and indicated a policy of confirming with the relevant parties at the time their understanding of official document management and requests for disclosure of administrative documents.
The validity of a ballot is decided by the ballot administrator after hearing the views of the ballot-counting observers. Unless it conflicts with a ground for invalidity, a ballot must be treated as valid when the voter’s intent is clear, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said it would disseminate and explain general legal interpretations and precedents.