The Japanese government has overtly and covertly tried to distance itself from Sono
Also, again, Abe:
One possible reason the Japanese mainstream media is reluctant to criticize Sono and the Sankei newspaper is due to the fact that Prime Minister Abe makes it a habit to regularly wine and dine the top executives of Japan’s media groups, often at the same time—usually before major political announcements or decisions—creating a cozy relationship that makes criticizing him or those close to him particularly awkward or difficult in Japanese culture.
Politics in Japan are strange, they’re a proper democracy but also de facto a one-party state. Abe is dead, in more than one way.
And I mean – this is what you have? Random people say stuff and you elevate it to state policy and social sentiment? Then, I guess, all Canadians want first nation people in boarding schools, all Germans want to ethnically cleanse the country of immigrant blood, all French want to re-colonise Algeria, all Koreans want state-mandated girlfriends, the list is fucking endless.