Despite moves to amend the Political Funds Control Law after a recent scandal involving a 100 million yen political donation by a dental lobby to a faction of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, experts are skeptical about whether such efforts will actually give it teeth.
Lawmakers are currently debating the feasibility of capping donations between political bodies established by industry associations and those set up by politicians.
The largest LDP faction, formerly led by former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, allegedly failed to report the check it received from the Japan Dental Association in 2001.