The first hearing was held Thursday in the trial of Lower House member Takanori Sakai, who has been charged with violating the Political Funds Control Law by concealing political donations from companies.
The case is drawing public attention once again to problems involving money and politics, leading to efforts by the ruling coalition to revise the funds law this Diet session.
The bill that would effect the revision, however, has proved quite unpopular with the media, scholars and opposition parties. The ruling bloc is nevertheless trying to ram it through the Diet before the session ends July 28.