politics

Tokyo governor admits receiving Y50 mil from scandal-hit Tokushukai

41 Comments

Tokyo Gov Naoki Inose on Friday admitted that he received a loan of 50 million yen last November from the scandal-hit Tokushukai group just one month before the gubernatorial election that he easily won.

Inose, 67, was besieged by reporters at the Tokyo metropolitan government office twice Friday as he went into damage control mode. He insisted the money was for private use and that he therefore did not have to include it in a campaign funds report to the election council, as required by the public offices election law, Fuji TV reported.

Inose did not say what the money was for but added that he handed an IOU to Tokushukai founder Torao Tokuda, 75, and that he meant to pay the loan back earlier this year, Fuji reported. He said the money was in his late wife's safety deposit box and that after she died in the summer, it took time to sort out the legal procedures.

By that time, Inose was also heavily involved in Tokyo's Olympic bid which was successful on Sept 7.

Inose told reporters his secretary returned the money in late September after the news broke about Tokushukai's illegal support for the founder's son -- Takeshi Tokuda, 42, who was elected to the House of Representatives last December.

Tokushukai was raided by police after it came to light that six of its executives, including two of Takeshi's sisters, deployed up to 200 Tokushukai staff to support Takeshi's successful campaign, paying them 147.5 million yen in "incentives." Tokuda resigned from the ruling Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP) earlier this month. His father has not been questioned as he is bed-ridden, police said.

Reporters pressed Inose on who actually gave him the money, and he said it was Takeshi Tokuda. Asked why he didn't go to a financial institution for a loan instead of the hospital group, Inose declined to answer, Fuji TV reported.

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41 Comments
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If people believe his explanation here, please contact me soonest, I have some wonderful property for sale!

14 ( +14 / -0 )

This is a political donation. He would have not returned the money if the Tokushukai case did not come to light. He's trying to dodge one's responsibility.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

And don't believe for a minute that the media didn't know all of this was happening in the lead up to the Olympic vote. All of this stuff is laid out and deals are made to let these criminals set up everything to lessen the impact. This will be dead by next weekend.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I'll bet Ishihara is shaking his head and thinking "Dude I taught you better"!

11 ( +11 / -0 )

Media reporting is really strange in Japan, leaving the most obvious natural questions unanswered. Like: Is he being investigated? And if it was a legitimate loan, as the gov. says, there would be paperwork. Is there any?

7 ( +8 / -1 )

If people believe his explanation here, please contact me soonest, I have some wonderful property for sale!

Would that be beach side property in Kansas?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

@Yubaru-san: We old timers knew he was the big mouth politician. Now this money grabber. What we will near next time? He is Governor now. Wasn;t he a bog mouth mayor little while ago? Hiding behind of Ishihara? Ishihara now has two big mouth he has to protect. Osaka mayor Hashinoto. Ishihara should beg to his son to return to LDP. Forget Inose and Hashimoto or maybe he will go back to concentrate on novel writing?

1 ( +3 / -3 )

I think he's a goner for sure. The press will let a lot get swept under the rug, but once they have their teeth into something this juicy, they won't let go. Prosecutors with dozens of cardboard boxes in 5, 4, 3, 2.........

4 ( +4 / -0 )

I think the press should be asking "who did you forget to pay-off so they blew the whistle" or "when will you resign"?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

This is most " regretable" but I'm sure he will " sincerely reflect on the situation", "collect all relevant information swiftly " and "take appropriate action speedily ", "to avoid public confusion" - "he should consider forming an expert panel".

3 ( +6 / -3 )

We old timers knew he was the big mouth politician.

He has only been a politician since 2007, so just how "old" are you? He was born around 1946 and is around 67 years old, so that must mean you are in your what 90's or later?

Inose is not a politician in the true sense of the word in Japanese politics, he is a relative newcomer in fact. He just never learned his lessons from his mentor Ishihara Shintaro.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

And you wonder why Abe wants to change the secrecy bill? It would mean none of these political bribes and scandals would make the media.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

And you wonder why Abe wants to change the secrecy bill? It would mean none of these political bribes and scandals would make the media

If you read the proposed bill, it doesn't.

This is a bribe, pure and simple. The media will no doubt find out eventually what the money was used for and how he was able to pay this back.

-8 ( +0 / -8 )

@Yubaru-san. We long time comment writers I meant. Anyway, Inose was known big mouth before Aso or Hashimoto.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Correction: Takeshi Tokuda has resigned from the LDP, not the Diet. Not yet, anyway. I'm still waiting for his stupid fat face to be taken down from poster boards around my neighbourhood.

Moderator: Thank you. The story has been corrected.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Gee, a Japanese politician caught in a scandal. Shocking.

1 ( +7 / -6 )

Next he'll say the loan was O-MO-TE-NA-SHI

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Even with the interest rate being almost non-existent, would anyone keep 50 million yen in a safety deposit box (presumably located in a bank vault) vice putting it in some sort of account? If the cash was actually in there, wouldn't the bank know and couldn't he have gotten a loan from them based on that fact?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yes, yes, Inose... And are you selling unicorns?

4 ( +6 / -2 )

tmarie, yeah, shock headline: "Japanese politician, male in late 60s, not entirely honest perhaps." In other news the desert is hot and it rained in Wales this month.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

So many government officials "confusing" the word 'bribe' with 'loan'.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

He insisted the money was for private use

Yeah, right.

No one moves that kind of money around in cash unless they're eager not to leave a paper trail.

Let's assume, just for laughs, that Inose is not lying when he says that he meant to pay the loan back earlier this year. That means either he borrowed a huge amount of money that he didn't need (we all do that all the time, right?) or he planned to use it and also planned to be able to repay it with an equal amount of income. If that's the case he should be able to explain where he expected that income to come from. His salary as gubnor is a little under 18 million yen pa. The sums don't add up.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Why are politicians still working (very loose term) at this age? Money? is it that obvious. I remember another politician who claimed 40million yen cash was savings and another who had gold bars hidden. All were past the retirement age. All were Law makers , while being Law breakers.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

The Yokohama governor is mulling returning 30 million yen borrowed from anti-social forces prior to her election to

Japanese politicians - the best that money can buy!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

If he had not been caught he would not have returned it nor would he have declared it. If it was legitimate it would not be sitting in a cash deposit box in cash but would be held in a account and recorded digitally.

Just another lie from another politician, call it a bribe , a pay off, a loan, or what ever you like but what ever label you put it on it is still immoral and unorthodox.

This whole place and it's systems are corrupt and a sham, anyone who isn't lying , cheating , scamming, stealing, skimming , creaming or gleaning is silly and is missing out because it seems that everyone else here is doing it.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Nigelboy - If you have read the amendments to the bill you would see that governmental business will remain governmental business. The secrecy bill aims to keep the press out of the government.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Disillusioned.

Amendments to which Article in the proposed bill? C'mon now.

As predicted, the media is uncovering the scandal on an hourly basis. Inose initally asked for 150 million.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Inose is not a politician in the true sense of the word in Japanese politics,

Why not? Because he took only 50 million?

He sounds quite the politician to me, with his dyed hair, painted-on eyebrows, propensity for accepting large sums of cash from big companies, and lying to our faces.

The only bad thing is that his type is the rule, and not the exception.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Inase is a SCUM BAG liar!! He just happened to get 50 million yen?? NO BODY just happens to get this much money by accident!! He should not only be fired but also arrested!! ASAP!!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

The only bad thing is that his type is the rule, and not the exception.

Yep, typical of big city mayors or governors over the world. He could have said "I was drunk, I don't remember..."

Inose initally asked for 150 million.

While people that vote for him pay to get lottery tickets... you just have to be audacious and ask.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

It's a wonder Tokushukai have any money left over for hospitals, medical equipment and doctors' and nurses' salaries, what with all that they've spent on dubious political activities.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

He has only been a politician since 2007, so just how "old" are you?

Confusing with Osaka's ? That Inose guy of Tokyo, he has been working in that industry (polibiz') since the 70's, publishing ishiharesque crap from the 80's. I wouldn't be surprised to learn he has his 4 decade career paved with dozens of "loans" falling by chance into his safe.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I am shocked, Shocked do you hear, to learn that Japanese politicians are receiving money from dubious sources.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Poor little Napoleon got his hands caught in the cookie jar. I have heard stories about this guy from a Tokyo gov't worker who told me he is probably the worst boss they have ever had. He has no real plan for Tokyo and he doesn't do anything. The only things he wants to do in Tokyo is leave his mark on the Olympics and trying to merge the subway systems, so he devotes all his time to it. A few other things he could careless about the people of Tokyo, and has the shortest temper known to man and isn't afraid to take it out in front of his employees. The worker told me he blew up in front of everyone because no one told him he was going to meet the press that day and he wore the wrong shoes. He has a special pair he wears when he knows there will be media to make him look taller. The worker told me he only cared about one thing and that was his wife and respected her a lot. So my guess he was going to use the money to pay for alternative medical care for his wife.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Inose has been very busy writing books and essays since 1987. His books and essays are usually praising Japan;s military time. He was appointed to Vice Governor of Tokyo by then Governor Ishihara in June 2007, then whesummer of Ishihara resigned, he was elected as Governor in 2012. He is right of rightest all his public limelight. Not a new politician. Unlike other right wing radicals, he write essays and he influences other radicals. Ishihara used to write top selling love stories but Inose write his political beliefs. He once worked for Koizumi group No longer but he makes up emperor in his image (Mikado Portrait - Mikado-no-Shozo) About WWII, he wrote (Defeaed War in the Summer of 1941)

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Only 50 million yen. His secretary paid back, the report says. He did not use for his political campaign, the report says, More likely he prepared for his wife's cancer treatment. Loan from bank? He is not a yakuza group. Bank will not loan him easily. R I P Mrs. Inose. He probably did not want to publicize his wife's sickness. It is his private life.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

We all received 50 million yen last year from some scandal ridden group. Is there a law against that?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I dont even see why this is newsworthy. Bribes, kickbacks, amakudari, currency manipulation, all business as usual in Japan.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

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