Prefectural Assembly Member Claims Hyogo Governor Was a Puppet; Criticism Falls on Alleged Mastermind

In the first part of the article [No Dialogue]: The Former Director General Dies and Confusion in Hyogo Prefecture, Governor Saito Once Said “Unusual Answer, ” we detailed the distortions in Hyogo Prefecture’s governance under Governor Motohiko Saito (46) and the grievances of the staff based on testimonies from relevant parties. This article will now delve into the reasons behind the turmoil in Hyogo Prefecture’s administration.

Shocking testimony that the governor was a puppet.

“The Chaos in Prefectural Administration Isn’t Solely Saito Motohiko’s Fault”

 

A source involved in Hyogo Prefectural administration expressed frustration, stating:

 

‘It’s well known among staff that Governor Saito only engages with areas he’s interested in. He’s vocal about things like bicycles, reproductive medicine, and drones areas he’s passionate about or has experience in but shows little interest in other matters. He doesn’t communicate with anyone outside a few senior officials, so he’s unfamiliar with the field and seems quite disconnected from the current state of prefectural administration. Therefore, issues like the allegations about the Hanshin and Orix championship parades and party tickets, as mentioned in A’s accusation, seem too complex for just the governor to orchestrate alone. We believe he was merely a puppet of the former Deputy Governor Katayama Yasutaka (64), who resigned early.’” 

Vice Governor Katayama is said to have begged the largest faction, the Liberal Democratic Party group, “Would you reconsider setting up a special investigative committee in exchange for my resignation?” He is known to be the governor’s right-hand man.

When he announced his resignation on July 12, “Advised Governor Saito to resign on five separate occasions.” It was stated, but there is also growing dissatisfaction with Vice Governor Katayama within the prefecture. A person involved in prefectural politics confides.

“After watching the vice governor weep during his press conference in a government office, staff members exclaimed, ‘He’s running away.’ The vice governor was also responsible for seizing Mr. A’s computer and conducting the questioning. It’s time to stop the charade.”

A local assembly member asserted, “Vice Governor Katayama will also face scrutiny.”

 

“There are two major allegations under investigation. One involves claims that donations for the Hanshin and Orix victory parades fell short, leading to increased subsidies from a local credit union that were allegedly kickbacked. The other concerns accusations that county subsidies were threatened to force related organizations into making purchases. It’s reported that the Hyogo Prefectural Police’s second investigative division is already looking into these matters. It has also emerged that the head of the Industrial Labor Department received a coffee maker from a local company and is undergoing voluntary questioning by the police. Honestly, it’s hard to believe that Governor Saito had the ability or skill to execute these schemes; it seems likely that Vice Governor Katayama is at the center.”

The 100-person committee will have witnesses, including Governor Saito, former Vice Governor Katayama, the General Affairs Director, and the Director of the Industrial and Labor Department, testify.

 

By August, the results of the survey of county employees were expected to be gathered and reviewed. However, the inquiry into power harassment cases involving staff, originally scheduled for early August, has been postponed due to considerations of employee burden. The delay was influenced by the following circumstances:

 

“There were comments from the Ishin Party suggesting that the survey results of all county employees should not be anonymous. Although the results ended up being anonymous, there was considerable debate on how to conduct the survey among the approximately 7,000 people, including external organizations. To alleviate the psychological anxiety of employees and to expedite fact-finding, there was contention over whether county employees should testify with lawyers present. The very fact that there were discussions about not allowing anonymity and considering lawyers’ presence highlights the abnormal situation in Hyogo Prefecture’s administration.” (said a local council member)

 

The 100-person committee is expected to compile its investigation report by the end of the year after about 11 sessions.

 

The family of Mr. A sent the following message to the Hundred Articles Committee dated On the 12th, the family of Mr. A sent the following message to the investigative committee:

 

“The suddenness of this situation has yet to fully sink in. However, I believe that the actions my husband took for the benefit of the county employees should not be in vain. He left a final message stating his intention to protest with his death and requested that, although he would not be able to attend the committee meeting on the 19th, his self-prepared statement and relevant audio data be submitted in his place. He also wished for the committee to see the investigation through to the end. We will submit these documents and audio data to the committee as part of the materials, and we ask that the committee honor his last wishes.”

 

The family continues with a heartfelt plea:

 

“We hope that this will be widely known among the staff and the citizens. We wish for the truth of this matter to be uncovered through the efforts of Chair Okutani and the other committee members. We hope that the result will be a Hyogo Prefectural Government where the staff can work with pride, as my husband wished.”

 

There has been a surge in dissatisfaction among the staff regarding Mr. A’s death and the subsequent handling of the situation by the prefectural government, with rumors of new whistleblowers potentially coming forward. To address the mistrust among residents and employees, a prompt resolution of the truth is urgently needed.