Governor’s Inappropriate Hospitality

The Governor of Tokyo, Naoki Inose, is in his jeopardy of political career by a money scandal with an owner of hospital chain. Inose has been recognized as on his peak as the governor after he won a victory in inviting 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Through the reports about his management of money, however, his inappropriate demand for money was revealed. It became unclear whether he will still be the governor in 2020. Before that, it is highly skeptical that this extortive guy should be the host of top athletes from the world.

The scandal was about ¥50 millions of money from a medical corporation, Tokushukai, to Inose before the gubernatorial election last December. Tokushukai is in a big scandal of political money illegally collected from donors and secretly donated to a number of politicians. The Chief Director, Torao Tokuda, was former Representative and his son, Takeshi, succeeded his father. It is doubted that the illegal money was used for Takeshi’s campaign last year.

Inose’s scandal appeared after Takeshi’s sisters were arrested for illegal hiring of campaign staffs. Inose accepted the money a day before his announcement of running the election in November 21 last year, but he did not report it to a public office. If the money had been used for his campaign, it would be a violation of law. He explained the money was only for his private purpose and he maintained the campaign by his own savings. Who did believe in it?

Some report revealed, however, that the money was not voluntary, but requested by Inose himself. Reports said that a staff of Tokushukai reported Inose’s request to Torao early November last year. The amount of request was ¥100 millions. It is said that Inose explained the staff the amount to be a common rate of Tokyo gubernatorial campaign. Supposedly regarding it as necessary for his future business in Tokyo, Torao ordered his staff to pay one half of the request. By the way, asking money with possibility of future disadvantage is something mafia would do for blackmailing.

Inose is still insisting on his job so far. But Takeshi may be forced to step down as a Representative with implication in his campaign staff’s illegal activity. As Tokushukai scandal spread wide to the public, Inose’s standpoint will be getting worse. The point is whether prosecutors admit his explanation that he did not use the money for his campaign.

At the presentation of International Olympic Committee for inviting the games to Tokyo, “omotenashi,” meaning hospitality, was a key word. Inose’s scandal revealed his positive hospitality to hidden donation. As many know, connection between Olympic and black money has invited many scandals. The world will be invited to the Tokyo Olympic Games produced by a governor made with black money.