“Even in a Fundoshi!” Exclusive Look Inside the 144-Page Photo Book of Fukuoka Political Heavyweight Isao Kurauchi

A lavish book filled with “Don” from cover to cover

A man wearing a white belly warmer and shimekomi. Could this be a scene from the Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival, a quintessential symbol of summer? The man striking a pointing pose with a beaming smile is none other than Tatsuo Kurauchi (72), the former speaker of the Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly, who is currently attracting attention as the worst man in Japan.

It is not widely known that this “Don” once published a photo book. Its title is simply “Tatsuo Kurauchi Style.” It was produced in December 2023 and was subsequently handed out at parties hosted by Kurauchi and other events. The lavish 144-page book is filled almost entirely with the “Don” from cover to cover. It contains a wealth of private photographs, including the Don playing with his grandchildren and relaxing in shorts. One male owner of the book, however, expressed his frustration:

“After being made to buy a party ticket costing ¥20,000, I was then given a photo book like this, and I had no idea what to do with it. Besides the narcissistic photos, there were also contributions from Diet members and proprietresses of traditional Japanese restaurants praising Kurauchi. I wondered who on earth would actually want a photo book like this.”

The photo book also contains a collection of messages titled “To My Friends,” in which 47 people wrote about their memories with Kurauchi.

Taro Aso (85), vice president of the Liberal Democratic Party, wrote that when he ran in the LDP presidential election, “Chairman Kurauchi took the lead in rallying support for me across the country,” while architect Kengo Kuma (72) praised him, writing, “Mr. Kurauchi is very stylish and has excellent taste.”

Fukuoka Governor Seitaro Hattori (71) also praised Kurauchi, saying he had been impressed by his sharp gaze as a politician. This photo book, overflowing with praise for Kurauchi himself, seems to symbolize his excessive self-consciousness and the sycophantic behavior of those around him.

A succession of accusers

Tatsuo Kurauchi, who had served as a Fukuoka prefectural assembly member for roughly 40 years, suddenly resigned on August 25 this year. His departure came amid a succession of controversies, including allegations of money changing hands over the positions of assembly speaker and deputy speaker, as well as publicly funded overseas inspections that ballooned to more than ¥260 million over roughly three years. After resigning, Kurauchi flatly denied the allegations in an NHK interview, saying, “There were absolutely no monetary exchanges related to the appointment of the speaker or anything else.” But that did not bring the series of controversies to an end.

The September 4 edition of “The Asahi Shimbun” carried testimony from a former deputy speaker who said, “After I became deputy speaker, I was asked for ¥5 million in cash, which I handed over to someone involved with the assembly.” This makes the sixth former speaker or deputy speaker to testify about money changing hands. A person with ties to the Fukuoka political world says:

“There are far more than six people who say they handed over money. There is also someone who says that after the election, Kurauchi summoned them and demanded ¥3 million in return for their cooperation. However, they have not come forward publicly because they fear retaliation.”

Prefectural assembly member Motoaki Yoshimatsu (58), who was the first to publicly accuse Kurauchi of wrongdoing, has revealed that he voluntarily gave an interview to the Fukuoka Prefectural Police in July. He says investigators told him, “We have no intention of ending this with a cursory investigation.” A person who says they handed over ¥3 million has also already cooperated with the investigation.

“Last month, I was interviewed by a detective from the Fukuoka Prefectural Police, and I told them everything that happened at the time. Kurauchi must also have heard at least to some extent about the direction of the investigation. There has been speculation that his resignation this time may have been prompted by his awareness of the actions of the investigative authorities.” (The aforementioned political source)

The reality of the sweet perks that prefectural assembly members had enjoyed is also coming to light. On September 2, “The Nishinippon Shimbun” reported that during overseas activities, prefectural assembly members had been drinking alcohol from the middle of the day and arriving late to events, as well as bringing their wives to Hawaii and even holding a party aboard a boat to celebrate their wedding anniversaries.

The central figures in these activities were prefectural assembly members Ken’ichi Haraguchi (72) and Tadatoshi Inoue (79), both of whom also contributed messages to Kurauchi’s photo book. Both are former assembly speakers and senior figures within the prefectural assembly members’ group.

One person who attended the boat party in Hawaii recalls:

“We were told, ‘Tonight’s dinner party will be held aboard a boat,’ so we headed to the venue. I didn’t find it particularly strange at the time that Mr. Haraguchi and Mr. Inoue were accompanied by their wives. In the United States, I had the impression that it was normal for a first lady to accompany her husband. Mr. Haraguchi even exchanged a passionate kiss with his wife in front of everyone, and the whole venue erupted in excitement.”

The common sense of the Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly appears to be considerably different from that of the general public.

From the September 25, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY”