The Art of Ghosting
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Japan’s Foreign Ministry ordered a popular social media personality and lawmaker to turn in his passport, a week after lawmakers ousted him from parliament for never showing up for work, Kyodo News reported Thursday.
Last week, the upper house of the legislature voted to strip Yoshikazu Higashitani – known by his online alias GaaSyy – of his status as a lawmaker, saying he never attended a single parliamentary session since being elected in June 2022.
Soon after his expulsion, Japanese police issued an arrest warrant for GaaSyy on defamation charges and for making threats.
GaaSyy is known for his YouTube channel which centers on celebrity gossip. He is alleged to have threatened three people, including a Japanese actor. Police also suspect him of interfering with the business activities of three others.
He is currently out of the country, according to local media reports.
The arrest warrant came after he ignored repeated requests by authorities to return to Japan to participate in a voluntary interview. Officials said his passport will become void if it is not returned by April 13.
GaaSyy’s removal marks the first time in more than 70 years that parliament has stripped a lawmaker of their status, according to CNN.
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