Former Nikkai Faction Leader Holds Political Fundraiser “Less than 70 people attended the top-secret party with a membership fee of 20,000 yen.

Thank you very much for your hard work. Thank you for your hard work.”

A little past 9:00 a.m. on August 2, a day of intense heat, a “political fund party” for former Nikai Faction executives of the LDP was being held in the penthouse of a high-rise building 37 stories above the ground, overlooking the Rinkai subcenter and Rainbow Bridge below. After the party, a little past 10:00 a.m., the “star of the show” politely greeted the party attendees at the reception desk on the first floor, as shown at the beginning of this report, and then quickly disappeared into the underground parking lot.

The organizer of the event was Mr. Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi, 69, a member of the House of Representatives of the Liberal Democratic Party. First elected in 2000, Yamaguchi served as Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Noda Yoshihiko Cabinet and Minister of the Environment in the Kishida Fumio Cabinet, and is a veteran member of the House of Representatives, having been elected seven times. He has also served as Secretary General of the former Nikai faction for 10 months from December 2008 to October 2009.

The name of the meeting is “Yamaguchi Tsuyoshi Seminar,” but the membership fee is 20,000 yen. The fee was 20,000 yen, and the content was no different from that of a political fund party. Professors from famous private universities also participated as lecturers. I think there were less than 70 people in attendance.

In the Nikai faction, Toshihiro Nikai, 85, a member of the LDP, was forced to dissolve his faction after his former treasurer and secretary were charged with violating the Political Funds Control Law, in addition to failing to write down ¥35.26 million. Ryota Takeda, 56, who succeeded Rep. Yamaguchi as Secretary General, was also found to have failed to record 19.26 million yen in political fund party income and was suspended by the LDP for one year. His predecessor, Councilor Yamaguchi, was also the subject of a criminal complaint and investigation by the Special Investigation Department, but was not indicted. The failure to disclose his income was also not verified. Yamaguchi himself also stated on his website,

“Although I was the secretary general, my duties were to coordinate meetings within the faction and to instruct and train younger members, and I was not involved at all in the faction’s financial affairs” (abstract excerpt).

He denies the allegations. However, Hiroyuki Kamiwaki, a professor of law at Kobe Gakuin University who filed criminal charges with the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office over a series of slush funds issues, holds them responsible.

Hiroyuki Kamiwaki, the secretary-general of the association, said.

The secretary-general is the equivalent of a factional treasurer,” says Hiroyuki Kamiwaki. He is in a position to supervise the treasurer. Whether it is a kickback or a slush fund pool, he is the one who decides on it. However, the office probably covered for him and could not prosecute him because they could not get his testimony. They take advantage of that, i.e., the individual politicians are not sorry, so they are having political fund parties again. Political fundraising parties are in effect a breeding ground for corporate donations and slush funds, since no one can check the amount of money bought by corporations.

The sign at the reception desk on the day of the party read “Yamaguchi Tsuyoshi’s office, 37th floor,” so it was difficult to tell at first glance whether the host was a politician or not, and there were no reporters other than this magazine in sight. The very apt description of the event was, “I went quietly.

I think they are doing it this way because they feel guilty. It is true that Mr. Yamaguchi was not indicted, but we are considering filing a complaint with the Public Prosecutors Office to thoroughly investigate the issue of slush funds,” Kamiwaki said.

With the enactment of the amendment to the Political Funds Control Law in June, the issue of back taxes came to an end. Since then, LDP lawmakers have resumed holding political fund parties one after another. However, have they really stopped the back taxes? The LDP should not let the issue end with a “throat-slitting”. A thorough investigation of the allegations of slush funds surrounding political fund parties is required.