The education ministry's final report on its probe into the amakudari (descent from heaven) practice of its officials has confirmed 62 cases in which current or former bureaucrats acted illegally in finding jobs for retired or retiring officials at universities and school operators. The ministry disciplined 43 officials, including three former administrative vice ministers.
The practice of retired bureaucrats landing cushy jobs at entities in sectors that they used to supervise serves as a potential vehicle for corruption. The report concluded that ministry officials have for several years systematically violated the rules regulating the practice. However, it fails to delve into the key question of whether the ministry gave favorable treatment to universities in exchange for employing their retired ranks. Investigations should be continued to expose the entire affair.
What the report suggests is a collusive relationship between the ministry and universities. The ministry, which has the power to distribute subsidies to schools and to approve their opening of new departments, routinely arranged for universities to offer positions to retired bureaucrats. Universities accept the ministry's requests — apparently in the hope that doing so will eventually benefit them or out of fear that turning down the requests will displease the bureaucracy.