Key Facts
• June 7, 2025: Post claims Ishiba declared ¥10 trillion for foreign researchers.
• Post compared this to Japan’s ¥4 trillion education budget for children.
• Post gained 17,000 reposts and 3.2 million views by June 10, 2025.
• Claim misinterprets Ishiba’s statement on using part of a ¥10 trillion university fund.
• The fund, created in March 2022, supports top-tier universities and research.
• Ishiba aims to attract global researchers using a portion of the fund.
• June 5, 2025: Tohoku University announced plans to use the fund for recruitment.
• The fund also supports doctoral students and research hubs.
• Ishiba did not state the entire ¥10 trillion would be used for this purpose.
• The claim was deemed misleading and incorrect by fact-checkers.
Summary
A viral post claimed Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba planned to spend ¥10 trillion to attract foreign researchers, sparking widespread debate. However, this claim was fact-checked and found to be false. Ishiba only proposed using part of the ¥10 trillion university fund, established in 2022, to enhance Japan’s research capabilities. The fund supports top universities, research hubs, and doctoral students. Tohoku University, for instance, announced its intention to utilize the fund for recruiting global talent. Ishiba’s statement did not imply the entire fund would be allocated for this purpose. The post, which gained significant traction online, was ultimately deemed misleading.
