TOKYO (TR) – Almost two decades after former Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa shocked the world with an infamous “drunken” press conference at the 2009 G7 summit in Rome, his widow has sparked a new firestorm by claiming he was drugged by a newspaper reporter, reports weekly tabloid Shukan Post (Apr. 17-24).
According to the tabloid, Ikuko Nakagawa, a former member of the House of Representatives, made the explosive allegations on social media before abruptly deleting the post under threat of legal action from the Yomiuri Shimbun.
In her Facebook post, Ikuko claimed that shortly before the disastrous press conference, her husband was invited to lunch by the then-Director of the International Bureau of the Ministry of Finance — a former high school classmate of Nakagawa’s. Reporters from the Yomiuri Shimbun were allegedly present at the gathering.
According to the widow’s deleted post, a Yomiuri reporter handed Nakagawa a substance, telling him: “If the press conference is canceled, you should take this medicine, eat, and take a good rest.” Nakagawa reportedly ingested the medicine and drank a sip of wine. Hours later, he appeared before the international media severely impaired, slurring his words and struggling to keep his eyes open.
“I will be killed by America”
Nakagawa was forced to resign shortly after and died suddenly at his Tokyo home in October 2009.
The Yomiuri Shimbun published an unprecedented rebuttal in its morning edition on March 31, labeling the claims “groundless”. The publication cited previous Diet testimonies where Nakagawa himself admitted to taking too much cold medicine, and warned it would consider legal action to demand the deletion of the “false information”.
However, the weekly’s investigation highlights deeper political machinations and paranoia leading up to the incident. According to the magazine, Nakagawa had lived in fear of assassination.
Ikuko disclosed that for a decade leading up to his death, Nakagawa repeatedly told her, “I will be killed by America.” He also said, “Take care of the children.”
“I will be killed by America”
At the time, Nakagawa was reportedly viewed as a “person of interest” by the White House. The late finance minister had been aggressively pushing for independent financial policies, including leveraging Japan’s massive holdings of U.S. Treasuries to assert Japanese sovereignty. The move reportedly challenged the U.S. dollar’s dominance and angered international financial powers.
Political insiders also pointed to a tense relationship between Nakagawa and the Ministry of Finance. Bureaucrats reportedly sought to diminish the influence of meddling politicians from the first Abe administration, and Nakagawa’s resignation conveniently paved the way for a finance minister more compliant with the ministry’s agenda.
While the official narrative pins the 2009 incident on alcohol and cold medicine, the widow’s claims have reignited speculation over whether Nakagawa’s downfall was a self-inflicted embarrassment or a coordinated political hit.
