Japan Press Weekly

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2018 April 18 - 24 [POLITICS]

Cabinet Office via e-mail informed Education Ministry of schedule of meetings with 'Kake Gakuen'

The Education Ministry on April 20 announced that it had received two email messages from the Cabinet Office notifying the ministry of the schedule of meetings between the school corporation "Kake Gakuen" and government officials over the establishment of a veterinary medicine department at a Kake Gakuen university whose owner is Prime Minister Abe's close friend.

The Cabinet Office admitted that an administrative official had composed the emails regarding the planned meetings which took place three years ago.

The first email sent at 9:52 a.m. of April 2, 2015 states, "Kake Gakuen says it will come to visit Mr. Fujiwara (of the Cabinet Office)."

The second email sent at 12:48 p.m. of the same day states, "Kake Gakuen says it will also meet with Mr. Yanase, an advisor to the Prime Minister, at 3:00 p.m. today."

Upon hearing of the emails, Japanese Communist Party Policy Commission Chair Kasai Akira on April 20 held a press conference in the Diet building and pointed out that the content of the emails is consistent with the notes taken by an Ehime prefectural employee. Kasai said that the Ehime memoranda of the meetings which note, "Kake Gakuen's project is a matter concerning the Prime Minister," have credibility.

He also said, "It wasn't the Ehime side who approached Kake Gakuen to visit the Cabinet Office and the Prime Minister's Office. Ehime prefectural and Imabasi City officials accompanied a Kake Gakuen board director on the visits," presuming that the school corporation run by PM Abe's "second self" was assuming a leading role in urging the bureaucrats to play ball. Kasai added, "The phrase 'matter concerning the Prime Minister' meant that the expected outcome was to give Kake Gakuen a favor."

Past related article:
> Notes taken by Ehime Pref. official: Kake Gakuen new faculty is matter of interest to Prime Minister [April 11, 2018]