KYODO NEWS



 

A group photo of the new Cabinet, appointed by Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba last week, was edited before being posted on the official website of his office, the top government spokesman said Monday.

In an unedited photo taken by the media, parts of the white shirts worn by Ishiba and Defense Minister Gen Nakatani are visible below their morning suits. However, these white areas around their waists do not appear in the official photo released by the Prime Minister's Office.

The photo prompted social media posts calling it an "ill-fitting" Cabinet.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi admitted that the government tweaked the photo.

"Group photos taken at official events will remain as memories for the participants for years to come. Therefore, we have made minor edits," Hayashi told a regular press briefing, noting that it was not the first time.

Ishiba took office with a vow to restore public trust in politics after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party was mired in a spate of scandals.

In March, a doctored photo of Catherine, Princess of Wales, with her children caused a stir, and she apologized later.

The advancement of artificial intelligence has also raised concerns about deepfakes, which are images and videos created using AI.