Ex-farm ministry official wined and dined by seller of tainted rice

Monday 15th September, 01:48 PM JST

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13 Comments

borscht at 06:33 PM JST - 15th September

I'm shocked. Well, not really. However, when the unnamed (because of his age?) ex-official says he didn't do Mikasa any favors, I believe him. The official probably just did his job - pushing paper around on his desk - and any actual investigation as to improprieties in the rice re-selling business was not done because, well, 'we Japanese' would never do anything like that. Mikasa didn't have to ask for any favors knowing that the office in charge of overseeing Mikasa's business probably wouldn't oversee it at all.
doedel at 07:22 PM JST - 15th September

Business as usual? Move on :-/
akaguma at 08:04 PM JST - 15th September

I had no idea they had feelings for each other, though I must say it all sounds very romantic. when will it be my turn?. sigh
Beelzebub at 09:08 PM JST - 15th September

Let's find a punishment that fits the crime. I suggest the offending official be wined and dined on products made with the tainted rice until his hair and teeth begin falling out.
serindipity at 09:34 PM JST - 15th September

One has got to love all the politically correct statements coming from these donkey's butts! I wonder how much of this rice their lawyer consumed? Or, should that be, I wonder how much of their profits their lawyer has consumed? Despicable!
meiwaku at 11:08 PM JST - 15th September

when is this ever going to end? how long can people put up with this shocking behaviour by politicians? I know it is true of every country but it just seems to be so blatant here. These politicians are just simply roughten b#$%&$%&#s the lot of them. Can something not be done against them legally?
TokyoGas at 11:11 PM JST - 15th September

What was that old song... 'Whoops there it is, whoops there it is'
some14some at 11:15 PM JST - 15th September

Can something not be done against them legally?

No, where lawmakers are lawbreakers, healers are killers, and citizens are indifferent, nothing can be done.
Freespeech at 01:24 AM JST - 16th September

So, if I understand moderately well, this trafficking of tainted rice goes all the way back to 2005 ?

Is there any sense in trying to track now the food and beverage products into which this rice has been processed ? The quantity absorbed by the japanese public must be awfully large after 4 to 5 years of ongoing scandal ! What is left on the store shelves now must be a minute proportion of all the rubbish produced and distributed.
bamboohat at 06:49 AM JST - 16th September

Gee, what a surprise, the government had active role in this whole process and was involved. It's all the fault of the Chinese, you see.
thepro at 08:39 AM JST - 16th September

crooked politics? no way!
Altria at 11:47 AM JST - 16th September

Hope it was tainted rice wine and jiko-mai onigiri.
soldave at 12:59 PM JST - 16th September

Is anyone surprised that: a) This actually happened, and b) The guy's name isn't being published?