On July 30, 2026, Taiwanese media outlet Chinatimes.com reported that in Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's X (formerly Twitter) post expressing gratitude for condolences regarding the Kumamoto earthquake, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te was the only one excluded from being tagged, sparking controversy in Taiwan.

The article explained that following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that occurred in Kumamoto Prefecture on the 28th, Prime Minister Takaichi posted in Japanese and English on the 30th and tagged the leaders of various countries who sent condolences. It reported that while South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, French President Macron, Italian Prime Minister Meloni, Brazilian President Lula, Serbian President Vučić, and Romanian President Dan were listed, President Lai's name was not there.

According to the report, after the earthquake occurred, President Lai posted on X in Chinese and Japanese, expressing condolences on behalf of the people of Taiwan and emphasizing, "Taiwan and Japan are true friends who share hardships." He also stated that he was prepared to provide necessary assistance. Presidential Office spokesperson Kuo Ya-hui also announced on the 30th that President Lai, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, and Premier Cho Jung-tai would each donate 200,000 New Taiwan Dollars (approximately 1 million Japanese Yen) in their personal capacities.

The article stated that some Taiwanese netizens posted comments in Japanese on Prime Minister Takaichi's post, such as "President Lai is missing," "Taiwan's President Lai also offered words of sympathy," and "So Taiwan isn't tagged."

Furthermore, it was introduced that comments such as "Is Taiwan not a country in Japan's eyes?", "After all that fawning, nothing was left. Where has the dignity gone?", and "What did the DPP gain after donating so much, speaking out so much, and kneeling so much? Was it Prime Minister Takaichi's cold shoulder?" were posted on social media platforms like Facebook.

It was also reported that there have been criticisms that Prime Minister Takaichi did not send messages or make donations during the floods in Tainan and the levee collapse in Hualien. (Edited and translated by Kawajiri)