Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso violated the ministers' guidelines recommending against the purchase or sale of golf club memberships while in office, a parliamentary report showed Monday.
An official at Aso's office said the deputy prime minister "should have refrained from" buying a membership last year and apologized for his breaching of the rules. But it also declined to disclose any details, such as how much he paid for it.
According to the data and the official, Aso bought a membership at the Fukuoka Country Club last year from an acquaintance, but not for investment reasons.