Japan govt admits to doctoring ‘untidy’ Cabinet photo

TOKYO - Japan’s government admitted on Oct 7 to manipulating an official photo of the new Cabinet to make its members look less unkempt, after online mockery of their sagging trousers.

Images taken by the media showed what appeared to be an untidy patch of white shirt under the morning suits of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Defence Minister Gen Nakatani.

In the official photo issued by Mr Ishiba’s office, these blemishes had mysteriously disappeared, but not quickly enough to stop a barrage of mockery of the “untidy Cabinet” on social media.

“This is more hideous than a group picture of some kind of seniors’ club during a trip to a hot spring. It’s utterly embarrassing,” one user wrote on social media platform X.

“Minor editing was made,” top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters on Oct 7, while seeking to deflect criticism of the manipulation.

“Group photos during official events of the prime minister’s office, such as the Cabinet reshuffle, will be preserved forever as memorabilia, so minor editing is customarily performed on these photos,” he said.

In March, Catherine, Britain’s Princess of Wales, apologised and said she had edited a photo with her children released by the palace.

The Mother’s Day portrait of a smiling Kate included several inconsistencies and sparked a storm after major news agencies, including AFP, withdrew the photo, saying it had been manipulated.

“Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing,” the Princess of Wales said in a statement.

“I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused.” AFP