Japanese PM Kishida’s aide receives flak online, from mother for putting hands in pockets on US trip

A senior aide to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida received online flak and was even chastised by his mother after a photo of him putting his hands in his pockets as the Japanese leader was speaking to reporters in the US came to the fore.

Seiji Kihara, the deputy chief Cabinet secretary, on YouTube apologised for the casual stance and said that even his mother scolded him saying that she was "ashamed" of him after reading comments that his son was “disgracing his parents”.

Making an appearance on a YouTube political discussion channel, Kihara defended his actions saying that he was the “sort of person who puts his hands in his pockets while walking” and added that he was simply concentrating on Kishida’s comments so he could accurately brief the media on the outcome of the Biden summit.

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“I was thinking of how best to convey the amicable Japan-US relations on display at the summit,” he said.

The 52-year-old further said that during his angry phone call with his mother, she suggested that he “sew up his pockets”.

The incident is said to have transpired on January 13 when Kishida was on the US leg of his five-day trip to North America and Europe.

The video went viral after Asahi Shimbun newspaper posted a clip on its Twitter account, sparking criticism from social media users.

In the clip, Kihara can be seen looking upwards and then fixing his gaze on Kishida, who is standing a few metres in front of him. After realising he is on camera, Kihara adjusts his trousers and folds his hands in front of him.

One user accused him of bad manners, while another suggested that Kihara had “more attitude than the prime minister”.

(With inputs from agencies)

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