Abe denies allegations over party guests

Dec 03, 2019 | News On Japan

Dec 03, 2019 (NHK) - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says the list of guests invited to an annual cherry blossom-viewing party in April was disposed of as scheduled and denied that it was related to a disclosure request by an opposition lawmaker.

Abe made the remarks while replying to a question from a member of his Liberal Democratic Party in the Upper House on Monday.

The Cabinet Office said it shredded the documents containing the long list of more than 15,000 guests in the afternoon of May 9. The shredding came shortly after a Communist Party lawmaker asked the office for the list.

Opposition parties say party guests included some dubious figures, including the former chairman of a health equipment company. The failed company, Japan Life, is suspected of fraudulent business programs.

Abe said the shredding of the documents was scheduled for May 9 after taking into account the availability of large shredding equipment and the schedule of officials in charge.

He also said he has been informed that the digital data cannot be restored. But he indicated that the government will consider changing the period of time for which lists are kept.

An opposition lawmaker said it is believed that Japan Life's former chairman, Masayoshi Yamaguchi, was among guests recommended by Abe for the cherry-blossom viewing party in 2015. He asked why Yamaguchi was invited the year after the company had received administrative guidance from the Consumer Affairs Agency to correct its business practices.

He also asked whether Abe and his wife know Yamaguchi.

Abe refused to answer, saying that he cannot comment on individual cases as they concern personal information. But he said he does not deny the possibility that he had attended gatherings at which Yamaguchi was also present, and added neither he nor his wife have met him one-on-one. He also denied having any personal relationship with the businessman.

Abe referred to the opposition's allegation that Japan Life used the party invitation sent to Yamaguchi to solicit customers. Abe said that generally speaking, it's unacceptable for the cherry-blossom party to be exploited for illegal or unlawful activities by individuals or companies.

Toyota to Launch Self-Driving Taxis in 2027

Toyota Motor will begin operating fully autonomous taxis in 2027 through a partnership with U.S. self-driving technology company Waymo, marking a major step in the Japanese automaker's efforts to expand driverless transportation services.

Mount Fuji Puts on First Snowcap

Mount Fuji has received its first snowcap of the season, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced on October 30, after temperatures at the summit plunged to minus 9.4 degrees Celsius, marking the arrival of winter conditions on Japan's highest mountain.

Chinese Female Spy Suspected of Targeting Nvidia Chief

U.S. intelligence agencies suspect that a Chinese female intelligence operative developed a close relationship with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in an attempt to obtain confidential corporate and U.S. government information, according to a report published by The New York Times on October 29th.

Japan Blocks Websites Leaking GMO Personal Data

The Japanese government has asked major telecommunications operators to forcibly block access to websites believed to contain personal information stolen in a cyberattack on GMO, it emerged on October 29th, as authorities moved to prevent further exposure of sensitive data online.

Typhoon No. 31 Heads Toward Japan's Remote Islands

Typhoon No. 31 was located near Minamitorishima Island in the Pacific Ocean, as of 3 a.m. on October 30, and was expected to approach the Ogasawara Islands south of Tokyo over the October 31-November 1 weekend while maintaining very strong intensity, bringing a growing risk of dangerously high waves, powerful swells and extremely rough seas.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Landlords Bear Financial Burden of Lonely Deaths

Japan's rapidly aging population is facing a growing crisis of elderly people dying alone at home, with grieving families sometimes unable to see their loved ones before burial and landlords increasingly forced to shoulder substantial cleanup and estate clearance costs when relatives abandon their inheritance.

Prison Inmates Help Preserve Japan's Traditional Crafts

Traditional Japanese crafts are finding an unexpected source of skilled workers in prisons across the country, where inmates are learning painstaking production techniques that build patience and concentration while helping preserve industries struggling with a shortage of craftspeople.

South Korean Man Arrested Over Killing of Japanese Woman Following Stock Crash

A Japanese woman in her 20s was found dead at an apartment complex in Cheonan, central South Korea, on October 29th, prompting police to detain a South Korean man in his 30s on suspicion of murder after he allegedly confessed to killing her because he had decided to commit suicide following stock market losses but could not bring himself to die alone.

Japan's Imperial Family Hosts Autumn Garden Party

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako hosted the annual autumn garden party at the Akasaka Imperial Gardens in Tokyo on October 29, welcoming approximately 1,400 guests, including actor Kotaro Yoshida and novelist Miyuki Miyabe, while female members of the Imperial Family attended in traditional Japanese attire.

Rescuers Save Paraglider Who Stopped Breathing

A 59-year-old water sports rental shop owner in Omachi, Nagano Prefecture, has received a letter of appreciation from police after rescuing a paraglider who plunged into a lake on September 21, pulling the unconscious man from the water and performing CPR after discovering he was no longer breathing.

Couple's Gardening Hobby Turns Out to Be Cannabis Cultivation

A married couple in Aira, Kagoshima Prefecture, have been arrested after police discovered cannabis plants growing in pots on the terrace of their home during a search connected to a separate investigation, authorities said on October 28th.

Elderly Woman Drives Along Railway Tracks, Ends in Tragedy

A woman in her 80s was killed after her car entered railway tracks on the Odakyu Enoshima Line in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, shortly before 10:30 p.m. on October 27, with security camera footage showing the vehicle traveling along the tracks, passing an oncoming train and stopping with its hazard lights flashing before being struck from behind by another train.

Teen Hospitalized After Electric Shock From Basketball Hoop

A teenage male was rushed to a hospital after suffering an electric shock while putting away a motorized basketball hoop at a gymnasium in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, in an accident believed to have been caused by an incompatible extension cord, according to a report on October 27th.

< 2 3 4 5 >