A tunnel being built under the new prime minister's office building to link it with the Cabinet Secretariat and Cabinet Office will allow those wanting to avoid reporters after meeting Japan's leader to skulk away unseen, according to political sources.
The project is fueling concerns about a lack of transparency in the government.
The tunnel, about 200 meters long, will be completed by the end of fiscal 2004. It will be connected to the second floor of the prime minister's office building, which is off-limits to journalists.