Japan Press Weekly

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2017 December 20 - 2018 January 9 [POLITICS]

4 scandal-tainted maglev contractors donated 272 million yen to LDP

Four leading general construction contractors under investigation for bid-rigging on the maglev super-express railway project have donated a total of over 272 million yen to the Liberal Democratic Party in the past five years, Akahata reported on December 20.

Political fund reports of the LDP’s political fund management organization indicate that between 2012 and 2016, the party received around 68 million yen in political donations from each of the four general contractors (Obayashi Corporation, Kajima Corporation, Shimizu Corporation, and Taisei Corporation).

In 2012 when the LDP was an opposition party, the amount of each company’s donation was around 8.1 million yen. With the party returning to power in December 2012, the amount was increased to 12 million yen in 2013 and stood at 16 million yen in the following three years.

Under the nine-trillion-yen maglev “Chuo Shinkansen” project, Central Japan Railway Company (JR Tokai) plans to construct a magnetic-levitation train line between Tokyo and Osaka. The LDP-Komei government is promoting the project by such means as offering low-interest loans to the railway company from public funds.

Past related articles:
> Local residents petition gov’t to not provide loan to maglev railway project [June 25, 2016]
> JCP criticizes gov’t for approving maglev railway construction [October 18, 2014]