Controversial Japan political party leader arrested over alleged defamation

Takashi Tachibana, the leader of a Japanese political party known for his controversial remarks, was arrested Sunday on suspicion of defaming a critic of a candidate he backed in the Hyogo gubernatorial election in November last year, police said.Tachibana, head of the NHK Party that campaigns against Japan's public broadcaster, is accused of repeatedly spreading false information about Hideaki Takeuchi, a member of the Hyogo prefectural assembly.The police declined to say whether Tachibana has admitted to the allegations.According to the police, Tachibana, 58, said in a stump speech in Dec…READ FULL ARTICLE