The average income of lawmakers in 2019 stood at ¥24.27 million, down 8.7 percent from the previous year and the first decline in four years, data released by the Diet showed Tuesday.
Taichiro Motoe, a House of Councilors member from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, topped the list of 653 lawmakers, with an income of ¥845.02 million. The lawyer-turned-politician gained ¥778.93 million last year through stock sales, according to the data.
Motoe, 44, who set up a law firm in 2005, is currently in his first term in the Upper House after being elected in 2016, and he also manages a portal site for legal consultations. He ranked second on the list for 2018.