Political groups in Tokyo raised 18.307 billion yen in 1999, up 10.2 percent from the previous year, and spent a combined 18.813 billion yen, up 16.5 percent, according to a report released Monday by the Tokyo metropolitan election management commission.
The increase in total revenue and spending declared by the 4,021 political organizations, including political parties and support groups for individual politicians, was due to the holding of unified local elections in spring 1999, commission officials said.
Total revenues declared by parties alone came to 8.776 billion yen, up 3.1 percent from the year before.
Revenues declared by other political groups totaled 9.531 billion yen, up 17.6 percent from the previous year.
The increase mainly reflected a rise in donations, which amounted to 9.233 billion yen, up 21.9 percent.
Among the donations, those by individuals accounted for a record 5.835 billion yen, up 26.7 percent from the previous year.
Donations from fundraising parties totaled 926 million yen, up 20.7 percent, with 96 such parties being held in 1999.
A fundraising group for former Foreign Minister Koji Kakizawa, currently a House of Representatives member who unsuccessfully ran in the hotly contested 1999 Tokyo gubernatorial race in April, collected some 70 million yen through a single fundraising party.
Among the spending declared by the political groups, political activities accounted for 11.797 billion yen, up 22.9 percent from the previous year.
Expenditures directly related to elections totaled 1.768 billion yen, more than quadruple the amount the previous year.