Japan Press Weekly

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2020 September 16 - 29 [POLITICS]

Tamura: Arrest of shady businessman increases need for probe into cherry blossom-viewing party scandal

Japanese Communist Party Policy Commission Chair Tamura Tomoko on September 18 in her comment on the arrest of former Japan Life chairperson on suspicion of fraudulent business practices pointed out that the invitation to this person to a government-hosted cherry blossom viewing party was used to lure a volume of fraud victims, demanding that the government fully clarify allegations related to the government-hosted event.

Yamaguchi Takayoshi, ex-chairperson of Japan Life notorious as a fraudulent multiple-level marketing company, was invited to a Prime Minister Abe-hosted cherry blossom-viewing party in 2015. The company used the invitation to the PM Abe-hosted government event as a tool to solicit clients. In addition, the invitation to Yamaguchi was among the invitations which were issued to guests selected at PM Abe’s recommendation. These facts were revealed through investigations and Diet questioning by opposition parties including the JCP.

Tamura criticized Abe’ successor, Suga Yoshihide, for intending to put a lid on the cherry blossom-viewing party scandal by declaring the cancellation of the controversial event. She said, “The arrest of the ex-Japan Life chairperson requires the government to fully carry out its responsibility to explain why such a person was invited along with other facts behind the scandal.”

Past related articles:
> Lawyers urge PM Abe to explain to victims about tie with shady business person who was invited to Abe-hosted party [December 20, 2019]
>‛Antisocial forces’ invited to Abe gov’t-hosted cherry blossom-viewing party [November 28, 2019]