The ongoing scandal at Moritomo Gakuen, a private Osaka educational operation that advocates nationalist, prewar values, took a dramatic turn Thursday after an on-site investigation by Osaka prefecture of a Moritomo-run elementary school's land deal was suddenly cut short.
"During the investigation, the vice principal at a Moritomo-run kindergarten who was at the meeting began taking photos of prefectural officials without their permission," said Osaka prefectural private education official Kaoru Yoshimoto at a Thursday evening news conference. "Despite asking three times to stop taking photos, the official continued, damaging the investigation. We judged it was impossible to continue and called a halt to meeting."
But Moritomo Gakuen President Yasunori Kagoike offered a different story.