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Japan transport ministry finds no pressure from farm minister over road budget
En breve
Japan's transport ministry said on 6 October that it found no lobbying or pressure from Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yanagi Kazuo over road budget allocations, after he was reported to have said he had “substantially cut” the budgets of municipalities that did not support the Liberal Democratic Party. The ministry said Yanagi asked about this fiscal year's allocation amounts for two Tochigi Prefecture municipalities around mid-February, before the budget passed, and was given the figures after it passed in April. It said the officials concerned kept no detailed memos and did not remember the exchanges clearly, while Yanagi retracted the remark and apologised.
Leer la noticia completa 2 min de lectura
Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said on 6 October that it found no lobbying or pressure from Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yanagi Kazuo over road budget allocations, presenting the results of its investigation from 5 p.m. The investigation followed remarks attributed to Yanagi that he had “substantially cut” the road budgets of municipalities that did not support the Liberal Democratic Party. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 9 , 10 ]
According to the ministry, Yanagi inquired about this fiscal year's budget allocation amounts around mid-February, before the budget was passed. Nippon TV News and Livedoor News reported the inquiry went to the ministry's Diet affairs staff and others; Yomiuri Shimbun reported it went to then-Vice Minister Sasaki Osamu and then-secretariat chief Kuroda Masayoshi, and that Sasaki explained the matter at the time. The ministry said it withheld its answer at that point and explained the allocation amounts for two municipalities to Yanagi after the budget passed in April. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 , 9 ]
The ministry said no detailed memos of the exchanges remain and that the official concerned does not clearly remember them. “Since it is to the degree that they do not remember, I believe they did not receive lobbying or pressure,” the ministry said, presenting that recollection as the basis of its conclusion. [ 1 , 2 , 6 ]
Yomiuri Shimbun reported the ministry's figures for the two municipalities, both in Yanagi's lower house constituency of Tochigi No. 3: Nasukarasuyama City at 105 million yen, down 26.2% from the previous year, and Nakagawa Town at 23 million yen, down 54.1%. The ministry said allocations are decided based on regional requests and project progress, and that Yanagi's inquiry had no influence on them. [ 6 ]
According to Yomiuri Shimbun, Yanagi made the remark at a May meeting with Liberal Democratic Party members. He retracted it on 5 October as inappropriate and said there was no lobbying of ministries for a budget cut. Nippon TV News reported he said he had exaggerated the expression out of “elevated feeling” and again denied lobbying; at his post-cabinet press conference on 6 October he again denied lobbying for a cut and said, “It is my lack of virtue. I apologise to everyone.” [ 5 , 6 ]
Tokyo Shimbun reported that the mayor of Nasukarasuyama said his doubts had deepened, in an article whose body is behind a paywall. TBS NEWS DIG reported that the municipalities Yanagi inquired about were ones whose leaders did not support him in February's lower house election, and questioned the intent of his remark. The documents do not state whether the ministry or Yanagi has committed to any further review. [ 7 , 10 ]
Por qué importa
The finding addresses whether a sitting minister intervened in spending decisions, and it rests on an official's recollection rather than written records. The figures published alongside it show both municipalities receiving less road money than the year before, a coincidence the mayor of one of them said deepened his doubts. The documents, all from Japanese outlets, give no evidence of how the allocations were set beyond the ministry's own account.
Datos clave
- The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said it found no lobbying or pressure from Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yanagi Kazuo over road budget allocations. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 9 , 10 ]
- According to the ministry, Yanagi inquired about this fiscal year's budget allocation amounts around mid-February, before the budget passed. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 , 9 ]
- The ministry said it withheld its answer at the time and explained the allocation amounts to Yanagi after the budget passed in April. [ 1 , 2 , 6 ]
- The ministry said no detailed memos of the exchanges remain and that the official concerned does not remember them clearly, and based its finding on that recollection. [ 1 , 2 , 6 ]
- The two municipalities were Nasukarasuyama City and Nakagawa Town in Tochigi Prefecture. [ 3 , 6 , 8 , 10 ]
- Yanagi made the remark at a May meeting with Liberal Democratic Party members, retracted it on 5 October as inappropriate and denied lobbying the ministry for a budget cut. [ 6 ]
- At a post-cabinet press conference on 6 October, Yanagi again denied lobbying for a budget cut and said, “It is my lack of virtue. I apologise to everyone.” [ 6 ]
Confirmado por varias fuentes
- The transport ministry announced the results of its investigation into Yanagi's remark, saying it found no lobbying or pressure from him. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 9 , 10 ]
- According to the ministry, Yanagi inquired about this fiscal year's budget allocation amounts around mid-February. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 , 9 ]
- The ministry said it withheld its answer before the budget passed and explained the allocation amounts to Yanagi after the budget passed in April. [ 1 , 2 , 6 ]
- The ministry said no detailed memos of the exchanges remain and the official concerned does not remember them clearly, and it presented that recollection as the basis of its conclusion. [ 1 , 2 , 6 ]
- The municipalities concerned were Nasukarasuyama City and Nakagawa Town in Tochigi Prefecture. [ 3 , 6 , 8 , 10 ]
- Yanagi denied lobbying the ministry for a budget cut. [ 5 , 6 ]
Aún sin aclarar
- Whether Yanagi's inquiry influenced the size of the two municipalities' road allocations. The ministry said allocations are decided by regional requests and project progress and that the inquiry had no influence, but the documents offer no records to verify this, and the ministry said no memos of the exchanges remain.
- Which officials received Yanagi's inquiry. Nippon TV News and Livedoor News said the inquiry went to the ministry's Diet affairs staff and others, while Yomiuri Shimbun named then-Vice Minister Sasaki Osamu and then-secretariat chief Kuroda Masayoshi; the accounts are not reconciled.
- What Yanagi intended by making the inquiry and the remark. Yanagi denied lobbying and one outlet reported he said he exaggerated the expression out of “elevated feeling”; another said the purpose of the remark remains a question, and the documents give no further explanation.
- The reaction of Nasukarasuyama's mayor, who said his doubts deepened. Reported by a single outlet, and the article body is behind a paywall, so only the headline statement is available.
- The road budget figures for the two municipalities: 105 million yen for Nasukarasuyama City, down 26.2% year on year, and 23 million yen for Nakagawa Town, down 54.1%. Ministry figures reported by a single outlet, Yomiuri Shimbun.
Qué dicen los medios locales
Cronología, hora local
- The transport ministry begins explaining the results of its investigation into Yanagi's remark. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Nippon TV News and Livedoor News report that the ministry found no lobbying or pressure from Yanagi and that he inquired about allocations around mid-February. [ 1 , 2 ]
- TBS NEWS DIG reports the ministry said Yanagi inquired about budget allocation amounts in February, naming Nasukarasuyama City and Nakagawa Town. [ 3 ]
- Nippon TV News publishes a further report on the ministry's finding. [ 4 ]
- Nippon TV News reports Yanagi said he exaggerated the expression out of “elevated feeling” and again denied lobbying. [ 5 ]
- Yomiuri Shimbun reports the ministry's account of the mid-February inquiry to the then vice minister and secretariat chief, the budget figures for the two municipalities, and Yanagi's apology at his post-cabinet press conference. [ 6 ]
- Tokyo Shimbun reports the ministry's explanation and that the mayor of Nasukarasuyama said his doubts deepened. [ 7 ]
- TBS NEWS DIG publishes the ministry's opening statement in full, noting the two municipalities' projects fell year on year. [ 8 ]
- TBS NEWS DIG reports the ministry's conclusion that there was no lobbying or pressure, with the inquiry made in mid-February and explained by then-Vice Minister Sasaki. [ 9 ]
- In the early hours of 7 October, TBS NEWS DIG reports that the ministry denied lobbying but that the inquiry concerned municipalities that did not support Yanagi in the election, and questions the intent of the remark. [ 10 ]