"Spent Hours Choosing Clothes That Wouldn’t Be Looked Down On"... Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi’s Social Media Post Sparks Controversy

[The Financial News] A social media post by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who recently hinted at possible involvement in a Taiwan contingency, has sparked controversy.
According to the Tokyo Shimbun and other sources on the 23rd, Prime Minister Takaichi posted on X (formerly Twitter) on the 21st while en route to the Republic of South Africa to attend the G20 Summit.
Prime Minister Takaichi revealed that she agonized over what to wear the day before her departure.
She explained that this was because she recalled a request from Hiroshi Ando, a member of Sanseitō, during a House of Councillors Budget Committee meeting on the 14th. He had said, "Please attend meetings with world leaders wearing clothes made from the finest Japanese fabrics by the best artisans whenever possible. Wearing cheap clothes could make you seem less respectable."
She continued, "Ando’s point seemed valid, so I spent hours choosing clothes that wouldn’t look cheap or make me appear inferior. In the end, I packed my usual jacket and dress, but I might have to go out of my way to buy clothes that give me an advantage in diplomatic negotiations."
Within Japanese political circles, Takaichi’s use of the phrase 'clothes that give me an advantage' has stirred debate.
The term 'mount' is derived from the English word 'mounting' (referring to an animal climbing on top of another), and in Japan, 'taking the mount' means trying to assert superiority over others.
Ryuichi Yoneyama, a member of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), commented on X, "People are free to think what they want, but if you openly declare your intention to take the mount, others will realize it. Besides, what kind of clothes would actually let you take the mount?"
Akira Koike of the Japanese Communist Party also criticized on X, "For a sitting prime minister to post about 'taking the mount' in diplomatic negotiations while on a plane to an international conference... Isn’t that far too careless and thoughtless?"
newssu@fnnews.com Kim Soo-yeon Reporter