Former Vice Minister of Justice Mito Kakizawa Arrested for Allegedly Rape and Abusive Speech Towards Former Secretaries

On December 28, Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office Special Investigation Department arrested Mito Kakizawa, 52, a member of the House of Representatives and former deputy justice minister, for violating the Public Offices Election Law in connection with the election of the mayor of Koto Ward, Tokyo. Immediately prior to his arrest, the magazine “FRIDAY” reported on Kakizawa’s “alleged pay-pinching and abusive language. The article in the January 5-12, 2024 issue of “FRIDAY” is published below.

Mito Kakizawa, 52, a member of the House of Representatives, resigned from his post as Deputy Minister of Justice following the start of an investigation into alleged violations of the Public Offices Election Law in connection with the Koto Ward Mayoral Election in April 2023. As is well known, Kakizawa was arbitrarily questioned by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office after it was revealed that he had given cash to several ward assembly members, but now new allegations have surfaced.

Mr. A, a former public secretary of Mr. Kakizawa, said, 

“Mr. Kakizawa’s treatment of his secretaries and his abusive language were so bad that more than 10 secretaries have resigned since he entered national politics in 2009. He has scolded them, saying things like, ‘Who do you think you are making a living thanks to?’ In addition, the wife of a former Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly member would contact him late at night with detailed work instructions. Many secretaries got fed up with such an environment and quit.”

What Mr. A considers most problematic is the suspicion that Mr. Kakizawa was “pinching” the salary of his secretary and using it to finance his own political activities.

 

“Mr. Kakizawa, who had been a member of several political parties and was unable to obtain the LDP’s party subsidy, was chronically short of political funds and had his secretary return part of her salary to raise money for leaflets to be posted in his constituency. He would hand over the money so that no evidence would be left behind, and he would make it look like he had returned the money voluntarily. Of course I did not like it, but I was afraid of losing my job, so I could not refuse. Besides me, several other secretaries returned their salaries.”

Another secretary, Mr. B, continued.

“There was also a secretary who had his “special fixed benefit” of 100,000 yen per person paid in May 2020 for the COVID-19 crisis confiscated by Mr. Kakizawa. What makes him vicious is that he does it with conviction. He did not use all of the secretaries to pin money on, but selected those who seemed to resist.”

The source of the policy secretary’s salary is, of course, taxpayers’ money. Professor Hiroyuki Kamiwaki of Kobe Gakuin University, an expert on political funds, points out.

“If a candidate for public office accepts donations other than at election time, he or she is in violation of the Political Funds Control Law. In addition, according to the Secretarial Salary Law, secretarial salaries cannot be easily donated. If a candidate is coerced into making a donation, he or she may be guilty of extortion.”

 

Is it true that the secretaries’ salaries and benefits are being paid out of pocket and that they have been outspoken? When we questioned Kakizawa’s office, they stated that there is no basis in fact for the allegations of pinching of secretaries’ salaries and abusive language, and explained that the benefits were taken away from them as follows.

“He explained that he had used the equivalent amount of the benefits after discussions and agreement within his office, and that he had prepared and distributed flyers covering the contact information for consultation services provided by the national government, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Koto Ward, and all other organizations.”

However, Mr. A revealed that he was forced to give his salary to Mr. Kakizawa because he was under pressure, not because of an agreement.

If it is true that he was exploiting his salary and benefits, it is appalling in its despicability. 

From the January 5-12, 2024 issue of FRIDAY