New Cabinet photo on government website had minor edits, Hayashi admits

A group photograph of Cabinet ministers taken last week underwent minor digital edits before being posted online by the government, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi admitted Monday following media reports of the picture’s alteration.

The digital manipulation came to light after multiple media agencies reported that the pictures taken by their photographers appeared slightly different from what was posted on the website of the Prime Minister’s Office.

While photos taken by the domestic media showed the white shirts of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Defense Minister Gen Nakatani peeking out of their black tailcoats above their belts, the one on the government website shows them tucked in. The photo on the website also shows several ministers having their positions moved slightly for prominence.

Hayashi on Monday told reporters that last week’s Cabinet photo was not the only one in which “minor editing” had been done.

“Group photos taken at official events at the Prime Minister’s Office,” Hayashi said, “will remain as a memento for the people for many years to come, which is why minor edits have been done in the past, and the practice is not exclusive to this photo.”

The photograph in question was taken last Tuesday at the Prime Minister’s Office after Ishiba announced his Cabinet lineup earlier in the day. It led to netizens criticizing the white shirts sticking out of the tailcoats with expressions such as “sloppy Cabinet.”