Sanae Takashi Denies Connection! Japanese media NoBorder issues tokens, claiming inspiration from Audrey Tang's digital democracy mechanism

Japanese media organization NoBorder recently issued the SANAE Token on Solana, as part of the “Japan is Back” project, aiming to explore new models of democracy through Web3 and artificial intelligence. However, Shōnae Takashi has publicly stated that she is “completely unaware” of the token, sparking public concern and controversy over its political connections. The token price also plummeted, halving within two hours.

From Abe to Takashi, the “Japan is Back” political narrative

“Japan is Back” was first proposed by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2013, symbolizing Japan’s strategic vision to emerge from economic stagnation and regain international influence. Its core includes economic reform, strengthening national defense, and active diplomacy.

In October 2025, Shōnae Takashi was elected Japan’s first female Prime Minister, seen as a continuation of Abe’s policies. During her campaign, she reintroduced “Japan is Back,” advocating for increased defense spending to 2% of GDP, strengthening national security systems, and reforming intelligence and counter-espionage measures, aiming to reshape Japan’s strategic position.

Mainstream media transforms with Web3: NoBorder DAO’s experiment

NoBorder is a prominent Japanese media platform focused on political, economic, and social issues, with nearly 600,000 subscribers on its YouTube channel, led by entrepreneur Yuji Kōguchi. Starting in 2026, NoBorder shifted from merely reporting to participating, establishing NoBorder DAO to experiment with blockchain and AI-driven social initiatives.

NoBorder announced the issuance of SANAE Token as an incentive tool for the “Japan is Back” project. Some program content hinted at communication with Takashi’s camp, but Takashi explicitly stated on X (formerly Twitter) on March 2, 2026: “I am completely unaware,” distancing herself from the project.

Core mechanism: Broadlistening inspired by Audrey Tang

NoBorder DAO plans to collect citizen opinions via an app, incorporating the concept of Broadlistening. The official website states this approach was inspired by Taiwan’s former Digital Minister Audrey Tang’s civic tech experiments, such as the Pol.is model:

• Using AI to cluster and visualize large volumes of opinions
• Identifying consensus rather than amplifying conflicts
• Helping policymakers understand “middle ground acceptable to the majority”
• Aiming to turn organized results into the “voice of the people” for government decision-making

However, this mechanism faces a practical challenge: without incentives, participants tend to cluster within specific groups, making it difficult to represent the entire population. To address participation bias, the community proposed introducing token incentives. This ultimately shaped the core operation of SANAE Token:

• Users submit opinions or participate in discussions via the NoBorder app
• The system analyzes and organizes input through Broadlistening
• SANAE Tokens are distributed as rewards based on “contribution level”

Regarding token economics, the operators hold about 65%, raising concerns about potential “rug pull” risks.

This article states that Shōnae Takashi denies any connection! Japanese media NoBorder issues tokens, claiming inspiration from Audrey Tang’s digital democracy mechanisms. Originally published on Chain News ABMedia.