National Nov 11, 2020
Finance bureau chief denies knowledge of tampering in Moritomo case
The testimony contradicts what was written in memos left by former bureau official Toshio Akagi, who killed himself in 2018.
National / Politics Oct 15, 2020
Sagawa named on tape as behind Moritomo Gakuen document-tampering
The former senior ministry official was named in a recording submitted as part of a suit by the widow of a local bureau staffer, whose suicide was linked to the scandal.
National / Crime & Legal Jul 15, 2020
Trial over bureaucrat’s suicide in Moritomo Gakuen scandal starts
Masako Akagi alleges her husband killed himself after being ordered to alter documents related to favoritism allegations against Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Reference | FYI Apr 2, 2020
With suicide note and lawsuit, Moritomo scandal back to haunt Abe
by Eric Johnston
With the publication of a suicide note by a former Finance Ministry official and subsequent lawsuit by his widow, the Moritomo Gakuen scandal has returned to haunt Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. But with Abe saying the issue has been settled and Japan finding itself ...
National / Politics Apr 2, 2020
Japan starts certifying archivists after criticism of lax record-keeping
The National Archives of Japan will introduce a system in fiscal 2020 to certify archivists amid growing public criticism of lax management of official records by the government. The certification system is aimed at improving the maintenance of public records. But experts question whether it ...
National Mar 18, 2020
Suicide note reignites Moritomo scandal that rocked Abe administration
by Reiji Yoshida
The wife of a former Finance Ministry official who killed himself filed a lawsuit against the ministry and the former chief of its financial bureau, seeking damages of ¥110 million.
National / Crime & Legal Feb 19, 2020
Moritomo Gakuen couple in Abe cronyism scandal found guilty of fraud
The former head of a nationalist school operator and his wife were found guilty of receiving ¥56.4 million in government subsidies illegally for the construction of an elementary school.
National / Politics Nov 23, 2019
Allegations over cherry blossom party bloom into fresh document scandal for Abe
The administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe faces more criticism over its handling of documents related to guests attending a state-funded cherry blossom-viewing party.
National / Crime & Legal Oct 30, 2019
Prosecutors seek seven-year term for couple at center of cronyism scandal linked to Abe
Prosecutors on Wednesday sought a seven-year prison term for the former head of a school operator and his wife at the heart of a cronyism scandal linked to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in relation to fraud valued at over ¥170 million ($1.6 million) involving ...
National / Crime & Legal Aug 10, 2019
The Osaka District Public Prosecutor's Office decided again on Friday not to indict former senior Finance Ministry bureaucrat Nobuhisa Sagawa and nine others over the Moritomo Gakuen cronyism scandal that hit the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The secondary decision, which cited insufficient evidence, ...
National May 21, 2019
Japan shifts toward digital storage of records after Moritomo, SDF and other scandals
The government plans to shift toward digital management of most public records by the time the new National Archives of Japan building opens in fiscal 2026, aiming to prevent the record management scandals that have plagued the Abe government. Such scandals include the Finance Ministry's ...
National / Politics Mar 30, 2019
Osaka panel urges prosecutors to reopen probe into government's murky Moritomo Gakuen land deal
A judicial body urges prosecutors to reinvestigate a case against a former senior Finance Ministry official who was involved in the Moritomo Gakuen land sale scandal.