Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Hayashi insists on appropriate response to chat issue between Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications executives regarding Asahi Shimbun's information disclosure request

When the Asahi Shimbun requested disclosure of information from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications regarding the scandal at Japan Post, a chat member within the ministry had posted about the issue, saying things like ``a special extension will be given to calm down the tide'', and a senior Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications member of the chat conducted an internal investigation and concluded that the matter was being ``responded appropriately.'' At a press conference on the 4th, Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Yoshimasa Hayashi said, ``We will examine the matter to see if there is anything we should reflect on,'' but the investigation methods used thus far will also be questioned.

"We are responding appropriately in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act." Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Hayashi explained this at a press conference on the 1st. He clarified that he had used the chat and that it was an administrative document, and that he had "deleted it in a timely manner."

How did you determine what was an "appropriate response"?

On August 10, the Asahi Shimbun reported the details of the chat to the General Affairs Division of the Minister's Secretariat, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, which is responsible for information disclosure, and asked for the ministry's opinion.

The executive named in the post said, ``It's been a while...''

Postal administration in charge of Japan Post...