Eriko Imai’s “Study Tour to Paris” is Buried in a Series of Posts of about Typhoon

Okinawa continues to be in a state of alert.

【Spread the word】Information on emergency water supply and recharging cell phones and other devices.

While the LDP Women’s Bureau’s “France Training Course” was under fire, former SPEED member of the House of Councilors Eriko Imai posted on X (formerly Twitter) an alert about Typhoon No. 6 and her concern for Okinawa.

The schedule of activities in Paris was leaked by “Smart FLASH” on April 6 with the content, “‘Paris inspection’ full schedule;  training was only 6 hours; cruise on the Seine River; shopping at the Champs-Elysées.” Although she claimed that she did not use taxpayer funds for her self-financed training, it was revealed that it was mostly a sightseeing trip.

However, Imai took to social networking sites and wrote

It was not a wasteful trip.

She responded to the criticism by saying, “It was not a waste of time.”

This visit to France was very fruitful. I would like to continue to actively engage in exchanges with people from various countries.

She intends to continue her “inspection tour” in the future.

She will report on her visit to Paris in the near future. Rui Matsukawa, the director of the Women’s Bureau, said

“It was thoughtless.”

The LDP’s internal members also warned her about the inappropriateness of the trip, but she has not apologized.

In the meantime, Imai has been reposting (formerly retweeting) typhoon information to the point where her past posts been overshadowed, and she has even posted the following:

I am worried that the elderly who live alone and those with disabilities are not getting the support they need.

and posted with such a sense of justice that no one could go into it. But a netizen posted a sarcastinc comment saying,

“Did you enjoy your cruise and shopping on the Champs-Elysées? Did you buy souvenirs for your ex-members too?”

 

What’s with the Paris inspection tour?

There was also a straight, outraged comment, “What’s with the Paris inspection tour?”

In addition, during the past election, a news program asked,

“What about the Constitution and the economy?

 

Imai replied, “I’m sorry, I’m in the middle of an election right now.”

The famous line of  of Imai replying, “I’m sorry, I’m still in the middle of the election,” has been made into parody by netizens and trending online.

 

The “I’m sorry I haven’t finished my trip to Paris yet” parody and ridicule comments were also posted. They claim that they are not using taxpayers’ money, but the salary of a member of parliament is itself a tax, and since the money is not marked, no one can be sure where the money is coming from.

It is necessary to properly check whether the money used in Paris is not marked as expenses in the political activity expenses. Imai’s former adulterous partner and boyfriend, Ken Hashimoto, was all over the news, but in recent days he has decided to keep his mouth shut.

Prime Minister Kishida must also be troubled by this matter.

Even so, the LDP is in a mess because of the “my number card” issue and the bribery scandal involving Akimoto Mari, a Diet member who left the party on May 5. For voters, not electing lawmakers who do not do their jobs properly may be an important option.