Latest news with #MainichiShimbun
The Mainichi
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Hyogo Gov. referred to prosecutors over election law violation in west Japan pref.
KOBE -- Hyogo Prefectural Police on June 20 sent documents on Hyogo Gov. Motohiko Saito to prosecutors on suspicion of violating the Public Offices Election Act by paying a PR company in return for campaign services during last fall's gubernatorial election, sources close to the matter have revealed to the Mainichi Shimbun. Police also sent prosecutors papers on the 33-year-old female president of the PR company Merchu, who allegedly received payment from Saito's side, on suspicion of receiving bribes under the same law. Authorities have not disclosed their views on how the two should be prosecuted. The Kobe District Public Prosecutors Office will carefully examine whether the two bear criminal responsibility. Shortly after the 47-year-old governor's reelection in November 2024, the PR company president posted online that she had been "entrusted with overall public relations" among other things. Saito's campaign paid the PR company a total of 715,000 yen (about $4,900), and in December 2024, parties including a university professor filed a criminal complaint against the two, claiming the payment constituted compensation for election campaign activities. Saito's side has explained that the payment was for the production of campaign posters and flyers, which are permitted under the election law, and has completely denied any illegality or bribery. (Japanese original by Yuta Shibayama and Yuria Kiyama, Kobe Bureau)
The Mainichi
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Japan Innovation Party lawmaker suspected of unauthorized use of campaigner names in report
OSAKA -- Nippon Ishin (the Japan Innovation Party) lawmaker Kaoru Nishida is suspected of unauthorized use of supporter names in the financial report for his April 2023 Osaka Prefectural Assembly election campaign, the Mainichi Shimbun has learned. Although the report indicated that these supporters received compensation from Nishida's side, some supporters have stated that they did not get paid. Nishida, 58, is now serving his first term as a House of Representatives member after defeating his rivals including a former Komeito lawmaker in the October 2024 general election. Previously, Nishida was a member of the Osaka Prefectural Assembly, where he secured his fifth term in the April 9, 2023, election. The report of his campaign expenses was submitted to the prefectural election administration committee and accepted 12 days after election day. In the report, the expenditure section listed the names of nine supporters, and it indicated that Nishida's camp had paid a total of 790,000 yen (about $5,400) in labor costs on the election day on the grounds that the supporters were employed as office staff or vehicle campaign workers. Receipts were also attached as evidence of the supporters receiving compensation. However, a man in his 50s listed as an office staff member testified, "I helped with some tasks before the campaigning officially started, but I did not work during the campaign period, nor did I receive compensation." He noticed his name in the report around October 2024 and reported it to a Nippon Ishin executive. The man stated that after the election day, Nishida asked him to write his name on a blank receipt. This receipt is believed to have been filled out later by someone else and attached to the report as the man's receipt. A woman in her 80s listed as a vehicle campaign worker explained, "I served tea and applied stickers, but I'm too old to work in a vehicle campaign." She said she did not receive any compensation and was unaware that her name was used. However, around October 2024, Nishida brought her a cash-filled brown envelope, asking her to "keep it." Another woman in her 80s listed as an office staff member said the receipt attached to the report was not in her handwriting. She added, "In the first place, the room number of my home address is incorrect." She also received cash, thought to be compensation, from Nishida around October 2024. The Public Offices Election Act prohibits intentionally making false entries in reports. Nishida's side submitted corrections to the prefectural election administration committee by June 18, stating that there was no expenditure of 790,000 yen to the nine individuals. Upon a Mainichi Shimbun inquiry, they explained, "Volunteers were involved in the report's creation and misunderstood the reference format, leading to the incorrect entries of compensation payments. We recognize there was no accounting issue or illegality. We will strive to prevent such occurrences in the future."
The Mainichi
4 days ago
- The Mainichi
Mayor of Japan's Yokosuka drove uninsured vehicle wrong way on 1-way street
YOKOHAMA -- The mayor of the city of Yokosuka in Kanagawa Prefecture announced on June 16 that he was issued a ticket while driving, and that a police investigation revealed his vehicle inspection and compulsory liability insurance had expired. Katsuaki Kamiji, 71, made the announcement on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). According to sources connected to the investigation, Kanagawa Prefectural Police intend to refer him to prosecutors on suspicion of violating the Road Transport Vehicle Act and other laws. In the online post, Kamiji said that at around 8 a.m. on June 14, he overlooked a one-way street sign on a road in the city's Funakoshi district while driving a personal vehicle. The police contacted him within that day and found that the vehicle inspection and liability insurance for the car he was driving had expired. Kamiji launched his electoral bid for a third term as mayor the next day. Kamiji, speaking with a Mainichi Shimbun reporter by phone on the evening of June 16, said, "I mistakenly entered the road and was stopped by the police. I didn't know the liability insurance had expired because the car is in my wife's name." On X, Kamiji apologized in a post, stating, "I was grossly negligent and have no excuse. I deeply apologize for this conduct, which has seriously undermined the trust you have placed in me." He has further stated, "I will sincerely cooperate with police procedures and solemnly accept any punishment that may be taken." (Japanese original by Chika Yokomi, Yokohama Bureau)
The Mainichi
4 days ago
- General
- The Mainichi
'Silent storytellers': 11 aircraft shelters in southwest Japan city recall wartime history
USA, OITA -- Eleven "entaigo" concrete bunkers, which were built to protect military aircraft from air raids, still remain in this southwestern Japan city. Visiting the places where warplanes were once housed in Usa, Oita Prefecture, this Mainichi Shimbun reporter found they are now being used as sheds and tractor garages. These wartime facilities have blended into the peaceful landscapes of modern life. The Usa Naval Air Corps was established in 1939, and around 800 personnel were stationed at the base, which was centered in the Yanagigaura area. As the war situation worsened, the base became a site for special suicide attack units in 1945, and many young men departed from there to the skies over Okinawa Prefecture. The base was targeted in air raids, and many service members and civilians lost their lives there. The concrete shelters with roofs were apparently covered with grass and other materials to make them harder to spot from the air and avoid becoming targets. The Joi No.1 entaigo bunker in the city's Joi district has been preserved as a park. It is believed that Zero fighter jets were stored there during the war, and the shelter now displays a Zero engine and propeller that were recovered from the waters off Kunisaki in northeast Oita Prefecture. A 62-year-old woman who lives near the bunker says her grandmother often talked about sharing dried sweet potatoes with kamikaze pilots. She said, "When I was a child, we used to climb on the shelters and play. It was such a normal part of the landscape. Now, young people go out of their way to come see them. As fewer people who actually lived through that time remain, I think these shelters serve as silent storytellers." (Japanese original by Kaho Kitayama, Fukuoka Photo and Video Department)
The Mainichi
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Abandoned luggage and survival school for kids: Our 5 most-read stories from last week
We've listed our five most read stories on The Mainichi news site, from top to bottom, that were published between June 7 and 15. The first story was viewed by 18.8% of our regular readers. (The Mainichi) Inbound tourists abandoning luggage amid Osaka Expo trips causes disposal problems OSAKA -- Suitcases believed to have been abandoned mainly by foreign travelers are piling up across this city as it hosts Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, putting pressure on local accommodation providers as to how to respond. Full story. Japan group under fire for holding 'junior survival school' combat training for children TOKYO -- An organization in Saitama Prefecture has drawn criticism for holding "junior survival school" events featuring combat drills for elementary and junior high school children at public facilities in Tokyo's Itabashi and Suginami wards, sources have told the Mainichi Shimbun. Full story. What is the controversy surrounding Japan's Yasukuni shrine? Amid calls that Self-Defense Force members be honored at Tokyo's Yasukuni Jinja shrine if they die in war, some have questioned the legitimacy of such a move in light of the Japanese Constitution, which stipulates the separation of religion and state. The Mainichi Shimbun answers some common questions readers may have about the controversial shrine where Class-A war criminals are enshrined. Full story. Japan ruling parties mull cash handouts without income limit ahead of upper house race TOKYO -- The government and ruling coalition parties in Japan are considering using the surplus in national tax revenue for public cash handouts to counter soaring prices. A uniform handout in the range of tens of thousands of yen per person with no income restrictions has been proposed. Full story. TOKYO -- A Cabinet Office survey has found that 42.7% of seniors in Japan reported carrying out paid work, surpassing 40% for the first time. Full story.
