Japan Press Weekly

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2016 April 13 - 19 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Tokyo JCP declines to go on assemblypersons’ trip to Rio Olympics

The Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly on April 14 decided to send 28 assemblypersons to Brazil to attend the 2016 Summer Games. The Japanese Communist Party and the Tokyo local party Seikatsusha Network composed of consumers, mainly women, opposed the plan and declined to participate in the trip.

A total of 28 members in four groups will attend the opening and closing events of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The delegation will consist of assembly members from the Liberal Democratic, Komei, Democratic, and two other local parties.

The number of delegates will be more than four times that the metropolitan assembly sent in 2012 to the London Games. At that time, it was only a 6-member delegation made up of the LDP, Komei, and DPJ.

On top of that, the parties participating in the Rio trip are unprecedentedly planning to divide among them the seat quotas allocated to the JCP and the Tokyo Seikatsusha Network.

The assembly is allocating a budget of 62 million yen for the trip to Rio de Janeiro. However, given additional costs associated with payments for accompanying retinue and skyrocketing prices on accommodations there, it is highly likely that the trip will go over-budget.

JCP assemblyperson Oyama Tomoko at a metropolitan assemly steering committee meeting said, “It will cost too much. We should avoid wasting tax money on such a so-called ‘inspection’ trip. My fundamental question is, what exactly do you inspect by attending the opening and closing ceremonies?”

On the same day, the JCP and the Tokyo Seikatsusha Network jointly issued a comment: The budget allocates as much as 2.38 million yen per person. Given that the money comes from tax revenues, the assembly should make an effort to minimize the costs. It is absolutely impermissible for participants to use the money not being used by the assembly members who have refused to go on principle.

Past related articles:
> Tokyo JCP criticizes governor for taking luxurious overseas trips [April 8, 2016]
> DPJ, LDP Tokyo assemblypersons go on Olympics-study trips [October 20, 2011]
> Tokyo governor again made luxurious overseas trips [December 22, 2009]
> LDP, DPJ, and Komei party members of Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly wasted tax money on ‘study tours’ abroad [December 17, 2008]
> JCP in Tokyo Assembly exposes Democratic Party’s plagiarism [September 5, 2008]