Criticism has been pouring in online in Japan over a video posted by the Japanese government on social media showing Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae visiting a disaster area affected by the Kumamoto earthquake.

Unlike typical disaster site visit footage, the video used slow motion and emotional background music (BGM), prompting sarcastic remarks such as, "Is this a personal promotional video?"

The Prime Minister's Office posted a 1-minute and 53-second video on its X account on the 3rd, capturing Prime Minister Takaichi's visit to the earthquake-affected area that day.

The video featured soft piano music in the background and visual effects reminiscent of a sad film, such as slow-motion shots of the prime minister shaking hands with victims.

In the video, Prime Minister Takaichi was also seen putting her hands together in prayer while looking down at the disaster-stricken area from a helicopter heading to the site.

As soon as the video was released, a flood of critical posts appeared on social media, such as, "In the end, she just went to shoot a promotional video," and "This is a regime for the individual, not for the people."

Playwright and musician Keralino Sandorovich posted on his X account, "It is completely a promotional video with herself as the protagonist."

Regarding the background music, he lashed out, asking, "What on earth is this music?"

Actor and musician Kongochi Takeshi also mocked the video on X, saying, "To think we are seeing such a farce in 2026," and criticized it as "absurd and insane. This video."

Regarding the scene of looking down at the disaster area from a helicopter, critical posts emerged saying things like, "Instead of looking down from a helicopter, pray at the site."

There is also criticism stating, "Instead of meeting victims in an air-conditioned meeting room, go to the gymnasium serving as an evacuation center."

The Japanese government has been emphasizing its commitment to disaster recovery, including announcing on the 3rd that it would designate the earthquake as a "specified emergency disaster."

However, thousands of people are still living in harsh conditions in evacuation centers amid extreme heat without air conditioning.

On the 2nd, a woman in her 70s who had been living as an evacuee while sleeping in her car in the disaster area died from a heat-related illness.

As the video sparked controversy, the Japanese government stepped up to explain, saying, "It is part of activities to inform the public of the government's efforts."

Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara Minoru declined to comment on the public criticism during a regular briefing.

However, he explained, "It is necessary to convey what the situation was like during the inspection of the disaster area to the public in an easy-to-understand manner," adding, "Brief summary videos of the prime minister inspecting disaster-stricken areas are something we have done before."

(Photo: Capture from the Japanese Prime Minister's Office X (formerly Twitter) account, Yonhap News)