No information left for Japan ministries to disclose

[Mulboyne]

Yomiuri: Leap in records scrapped prior to FOI
There was a surge in the destruction of documents eligible for disclosure under the Freedom of Information Law by 10 central government offices between fiscal 1998 and 2000 ahead of the law's enforcement in 2001, according to a nonprofit organization's investigation. Information Clearinghouse Japan, based in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, demanded 21 central government offices disclose contracts and related documents about the disposal of administrative documents.
The investigation found that the volume of administrative documents destroyed increased suddenly in 10 offices--the Foreign Ministry, Finance Ministry, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry, National Police Agency, Justice Ministry, Environment Ministry, Financial Services Agency, Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry, National Personnel Authority and Fair Trade Commission--between fiscal 1998 and 2000, prior to enforcement of the law.
...Prof. Masao Horibe, a specialist in procedures for information disclosure of Chuo University's Chuo Law School said: "The significance of the law halves if the administrative documents don't exist. So it's worthwhile investigating and questioning the volume of documents scrapped."
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