Kitakyushu survey: 135 senior city staff report intimidating conduct by assembly members
In short
Kitakyushu city released a survey on 21 October in which 135 of 446 responding senior staff said they had experienced intimidating words or actions from assembly members, and 101 said they had experienced unjust demands. Free-text answers included being made to buy tickets for a troupe in which an assembly member is enrolled. The city plans verification with external experts such as lawyers.
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Kitakyushu city in Fukuoka Prefecture released on 21 October the results of a survey asking staff about unjust demands and other conduct by assembly members. According to Asahi Shimbun and Yomiuri Shimbun, the survey was carried out anonymously in September among 468 section-chief-level and higher staff who deal with the assembly. Of these, 446 answered, a response rate of 95.3%, Asahi reported. It covered experiences and cases heard of over the past five years. [ 1 , 4 , 5 ]
Asahi reported that 135 respondents (30.3%) said they had experienced intimidating words or actions from members and 145 (32.5%) said they had seen or heard of such conduct. A further 110 (24.7%) said they had experienced personal solicitation to buy goods, 101 (22.6%) unjust demands, and 63 (14.1%) involvement in drafting assembly question scripts. Thirteen (2.9%) said they had received entertainment or favours. Yomiuri described the intimidating conduct as including loud reprimands. [ 4 , 5 ]
Free-text answers cited in the reports included being told unilaterally in public with no right to question back, and being made to buy tickets for a troupe in which an assembly member is enrolled. Yomiuri also quoted answers about being asked to apologise in assembly replies and subscribing at their own expense to a party newspaper for two years. One respondent said excellent staff were leaving because of assembly work, and another said the job was like being a sandbag. [ 1 , 5 ]
A TBS summary said the troupe tickets were bought with membership fees by the senior staff group, the Bukacho-kai, and that the troupe is one to which assembly chair Yoshio Nakamura (中村義雄) belongs. The summary is cut off, and the other articles do not link the chair to the tickets. [ 2 ]
Mayor Kazuhisa Takeuchi (武内和久) said he was greatly shocked, that some entries were hard to believe, and that such voices could not be overlooked. Nakamura said he would take the results seriously but that facts and perceptions may differ in some cases. The city said it will set up a verification system with outside experts such as lawyers, and Asahi said it will also consider measures to keep a proper relationship between members and staff. [ 1 , 4 , 5 ]
Nippon TV said the survey grew out of remarks on 11 September by assembly member Junko Inoue (井上純子), a former city employee who sits alone in her caucus. In a general question session she said unjust demands exist in Kitakyushu and called for an ordinance to protect staff. She said she was invited to events of members' related groups and to a political fundraising party by a prefectural assembly member, Matsuo (松尾統章). Matsuo told FBS he made an inquiry in 2019 through his secretary and had no contact with her. Reports also said the issue had arisen in Fukuoka Prefecture and its assembly. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The survey follows a similar problem raised in Fukuoka Prefecture and its assembly, and the city says it will set up verification with outside experts. The assembly chair said the facts and how they were perceived may differ, so the findings may be contested.
Key facts
- Kitakyushu city released the results of its survey on 21 October. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The anonymous survey went to 468 section-chief-level and higher staff who deal with the assembly; 446 answered, a response rate of 95.3%. [ 4 , 5 ]
- 135 respondents (30.3%) said they had experienced intimidating words or actions from members, and 145 (32.5%) said they had seen or heard of it. [ 4 ]
- 101 respondents (22.6%) said they had experienced unjust demands, 110 (24.7%) personal solicitation to buy goods, and 63 (14.1%) involvement in drafting assembly question scripts. [ 4 ]
- Free-text answers included being made to buy tickets for a troupe in which an assembly member is enrolled. [ 1 , 5 ]
- The city said it will set up a verification system with outside experts such as lawyers. [ 1 , 4 , 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The city published survey results on 21 October showing that 135 staff had experienced intimidating words or actions from assembly members and 101 had experienced unjust demands. [ 1 , 4 , 5 ]
- Respondents reported being made to buy tickets for a troupe in which an assembly member is enrolled. [ 1 , 5 ]
- The city plans verification by outside experts including lawyers. [ 1 , 4 , 5 ]
Still unclear
- Whether tickets for a troupe to which assembly chair Nakamura belongs were bought by the senior staff group with membership fees. Only the truncated summary of one article states this; the other articles mention troupe tickets without naming the chair.
- Whether the facts and perceptions in the survey answers match what members say. Assembly chair Nakamura said facts and how they are perceived may differ in some cases; the article on the members' reaction to the survey is cut off.
- Details of the 2019 inquiry about inviting Ms Inoue to a political fundraising party. Matsuo, a prefectural assembly member, told FBS he only made an inquiry and had no contact with her; Ms Inoue said he might not remember it.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Around this time on 21 October, a Nippon TV reporter said the city had just released the survey results. [ 3 ]
- TBS NEWS DIG published its report on the results. [ 1 ]
- TBS NEWS DIG published a second report on the troupe tickets and the senior staff group. [ 2 ]
- Asahi Shimbun published its report on 22 October. [ 4 ]
- Yomiuri Shimbun published its report on 22 October with comments from the mayor and assembly chair. [ 5 ]