royal image controversy
Photoshopped photos of royal family attract global attention 05:16
Japan’s government admitted on Monday that it had altered official photos of its new cabinet to make them look sloppier after their sagging pants were ridiculed online.
Images taken by local media showed what appeared to be a disheveled part of the white shirts of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Defense Minister Gen Nakatani under their morning suits.
In official photos issued by Ishiba’s office, these scars had mysteriously disappeared, but it was not enough to stop the barrage of ridicule on social media for the “messy cabinet.”
This photo, taken on October 1, 2024, shows new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (front C) posing for a photo with ministers at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo. STR/Jiji Press/AFP via Getty Images
“It’s more horrifying than a group photo at an old people’s club on a spa trip. Totally embarrassing,” one user wrote on social media, according to a BBC report.
Another user said it was clear the ministers were wearing the wrong size suits, the BBC reported.
Top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters on Monday that “minor edits were made” in an attempt to fend off criticism of the manipulation.
“Group photos taken at official events at the Prime Minister’s Office, such as cabinet reshuffles, are kept forever as souvenirs, so it is customary for the photos to be slightly edited.”
In March, Britain’s Duchess Kate apologized for editing a photo of herself and her children released by the palace.
A smiling Mother’s Day portrait of Duchess Kate contained several inconsistencies and caused an uproar after a major news agency pulled the photo, saying it had been altered.
“Like many amateur photographers, I experiment with editing from time to time,” Kate said in a statement. “We would like to apologize for any confusion caused by the family photo we shared yesterday.”
