Tokyo Governor Ishihara wines and dines at fancy restaurants at the expense of Metropolitan taxpayers

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Tokyo Governor Ishihara wines and dines at fancy restaurants at the expense of Metropolitan taxpayers

Tokyo Governor Ishihara Shintaro has spent tax money of more than 10 million yen for extravagant dinners in seven years.

On April 8, 2005, the governor and nine executives of ShinGinko Tokyo bank were at a dinner table in a private room of the luxurious Japanese-style restaurant "Akasaka Asada." For this dinner alone, tax money of 370,000 yen was used.

ShinGinko Tokyo is almost a metropolitan bank since the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has a more than 80 percent stake in the bank. The bank, established in April 1, 2005, is Ishihara's brainchild. Although the metropolitan government poured tax money of 100 billion yen into the bank, it is now faced with the danger of bankruptcy.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government standards require that the governor's social expenses be as low as possible within the limit that the society accepts. The standards also prohibit him from using tax money for wining and dining government officials, including Dietmembers and Metropolitan Assembly members.

The governor, however, has frequently dined with lawmakers and Metropolitan government counselors. The expenses of his wining and dining are also eye-opening. The following is a partial list that Akahata has obtained:

- On August 8, 2000, Ishihara spent 200,000 yen for a dinner with Komei Party Dietmember Fuyushiba Tetsuzo (currently, land, infrastructure and transport minister) at a turtle-dish restaurant.

- On March 13, 2001, Ishihara had a 190,000 yen dinner with Liberal Democratic Party dietmembers, including Watanabe Yoshimi (currently, administrative reform minister), Ishihara Nobuaki (the governor's eldest son; currently, LDP acting secretary-general), Shiozaki Yasuhisa (currently, Chief Cabinet Secretary), and Nemoto Takumi (currently, special advisor to the prime minister).

- On October 11, 2001, Ishihara enjoyed Japanese cuisine amounting to 170,000 yen at a high-class restaurant with Aso Taro (currently, foreign minister).

- On December 2, 2002, at the time-honored Japanese restaurant "Nagata Cho Hyoutei" located near the Dietmembers' Building, Ishihara paid 520,000 yen for a dinner with 13 people, including then posts and telecommunication ministry officials.

- On May 5, 2005, at one of the most famous French restaurants in Japan, Ishihara spent 380,000 yen for wining and dining with 13 people, including then head of the Cabinet Security Affairs Office.

Outstanding among others, Ishihara used tax money of 2.3 million yen in total for nine dinners with his close aide Tanahashi Yasushi who used to be a transport ministry official and now serves as a Metropolitan Government counselor. Ishihara also spent 160,000 yen in total for four dinners with Imamura Yusaku, a Metropolitan Government counselor as well as a friend of Ishihara's youngest son.

How can Ishihara claim these dining expenses as low as possible within the bounds of socially accepted limits?

Ishihara deeply cut social welfare services as 'luxurious'

Despite the fact that local governments should promote residents' well-being, Governor Ishihara says, "If I must point to a luxury, it is social welfare first of all."

Adhering to his words, Ishihara has mercilessly cut back social welfare services. He has abolished welfare allowances and medical care subsidies for the elderly.

In addition to this, he has discontinued even subsidies for disabled persons, the cost of which is equivalent to his expense for one dinner.

These included the guide dogs food subsidy (640,000 yen a year), the braille transcribing volunteer training program (400,000 yen), the speaking correction program for stammerers (280,000 yen), and the sea-bathing program for physically-handicapped people (400,000 yen).

Oda Tsuyuko, a visually disabled Tokyo resident, said, "I walk to a distant store to look for cheaper goods. I live for many days with money that the governor uses for wine in one night."

In the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, the Japanese Communist Party has grilled the governor over his wasteful use of tax money, and consistently demanded that his expenses be fair and disclosed to the public.
- Akahata Sunday edition, January 28, 2007