Paying ransom to win the release of kidnapped Japanese, buying off foreign dignitaries to reach backdoor deals and giving cash in exchange for secrets.
These are just some of the ways Japan's discretionary funds — known as "kimitsuhi" or "hoshohi" — are used, or so it is said.
The funds are set aside and kept under wraps to give the government a stash of cash for those times when officials believe the nation's interest is best served by secrecy.