December 7, 2024
Japanese Communist Party lawmaker Yamazoe Taku at the Upper House plenary session on December 6 demanded a total ban on political donations from corporations and interest groups, claiming that a portion of the profits earned by the arms industry from the government’s massive military buildup program are being returned to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in the form of political donations.
Yamazoe took up the decision the government made on November 28 to allow the export of Japanese destroyers to Australia. In March of this year, when the Cabinet decided on a policy of exporting to other countries next-generation fighter jets to be jointly developed between Japan, the U.K. and Italy, the government explained that the export would be limited to next-generation fighter jets. However, Yamazoe pointed out the possibility of a dramatic expansion of Japan’s military exports without restraints.
He cited the example of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), the manufacturer of the “Mogami” class destroyers which are expected to be exported. The company increased its net income for the first half of 2024 by 17% from the previous year due to a rapid increase in orders for missiles and fighter jets. At the same time, MHI provided political donations of 33 million yen to the LDP, according to Yamazoe.
Yamazoe pointed out that part of the money from the huge profits made from government orders is being returned to the governing party as political donations. He said, “Prime Minister Ishiba says that corporate donations are not different from personal donations, but with political donations from individuals, the return of profits to the LDP cannot occur.”