Key Facts
• Shizuoka’s Ito City Mayor Maki Takubo, 55, faces academic fraud allegations.
• Takubo resigned and plans to run in a re-election amid the controversy.
• A new anonymous letter, labeled a ‘fake document,’ was sent to the city council chair.
• The letter claims Takubo’s graduation certificate from Toyo University is counterfeit.
• Takubo denies the claims, calling the letter suspicious and lacking credibility.
• She stated her classmates and friends are accounted for and have not contacted her.
• Takubo plans to verify if similar letters were sent to her office.
• Media reports suggest the letter may be discussed in the council’s investigative committee.
• Takubo criticized media for reporting without verifying facts.
• The alleged certificate was reportedly created as a joke by classmates in 1992.
Summary
Maki Takubo, the mayor of Ito City in Shizuoka, Japan, is embroiled in allegations of academic fraud involving a purportedly fake graduation certificate from Toyo University. Takubo, who resigned but plans to run for re-election, dismissed the claims as baseless and criticized media outlets for reporting unverified information. A new anonymous letter, sent to the city council chair, accuses Takubo of presenting a counterfeit certificate allegedly created as a joke by her classmates in 1992. Takubo labeled the letter a ‘fake document’ and expressed doubts about its authenticity, noting that her classmates and friends are accounted for and have not contacted her. She pledged to investigate the matter further and update the public. Media reports suggest the letter may be addressed in the council’s investigative committee, but Takubo has called such discussions unfounded. The controversy continues to draw public and media attention.
