"Japan's Abe Is the World's Best Leader"

[matsuki]

Moritomo Gakuen paid $1.2 million last year for a two-acre plot of land that was appraised at $8.4 million. The discount was ostensibly because the land contained buried rubbish and some contamination, although the state reimbursed the organization almost $1.2 million — the same as the sale price — for cleanup costs.

“Didn’t the state give the land away for free?” asked Takeshi Miyamoto, a lawmaker in Japan’s Communist Party.

A neighboring, slightly larger plot of land was sold to the city of Toyonaka to build a park for $12.5 million — 10 times the amount the school paid — in 2010.

Now, the Finance Ministry is saying that it threw out the records on the land negotiation after the deal was concluded, leading opposition politicians to accuse the government of a coverup. The Board of Audit is investigating.

No more records cha cha cha! No collusion cha cha cha!

[Russell]

Abe rejects probes into gov't, LDP over controversial land deal

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Thursday he does not intend to start a probe into the government or his ruling Liberal Democratic Party as questions mount over their possible roles in a controversial sale of government-owned land in Osaka.

Abe, the LDP leader, told a parliamentary session that the most the government can do is “to respond thoroughly” to an examination by the government’s Board of Audit, adding that he will make sure that any LDP lawmaker found to have been involved in the deal would be held responsible.

The remarks come after a fresh revelation that the head of kindergarten operator Moritomo Gakuen in Osaka had contacted veteran LDP lawmaker Yoshitada Konoike in 2014, apparently seeking help to buy land at a discount. The operator eventually acquired the land, aimed for an elementary school it plans to open in April, at a significantly lower price than its appraisal value.

The government’s top spokesman Yoshihide Suga said, “There was no wrongful lobbying (by lawmakers to the ministry). The land was sold by appropriate process and value in accordance with the law.”

“I hope that the Board of Audit will conduct a full investigation,” Suga said.

In the House of Councillors Budget Committee, Nobuhisa Sagawa, head of the Finance Ministry’s Financial Bureau, denied any politician’s involvement in the land deal.

Konoike admitted to reporters late Wednesday that he had met the operator head, Yasunori Kagoike, but denied playing any role in lobbying the Finance Ministry on behalf of the operator over the land.

Konoike, who is a House of Councillors member and a former minister in charge of disaster management, said he met Kagoike at his office in the Diet members’ building in April 2014 and was asked for a favor.

Kagoike then handed over something wrapped in a sheet of paper, which Konoike said he immediately sensed was money and refused to take. He said he told Kagoike, “Don’t you dare. Slapping a politician’s face with money is not something an educator does. Go home!”

Konoike said he did not know what the “favor” was actually about, but told reporters it probably had something to do with the land purchase. The meeting ended in a few minutes, he added.

A senior Finance Ministry official said earlier that documents on the exchanges between the ministry and Moritomo Gakuen have been discarded and interview records no longer exist.

Konoike said he received 200,000 yen in donations from Moritomo Gakuen around 2014 and 2015 but will return the funds.

The issue has garnered attention in part because the kindergarten operated by Moritomo Gakuen in Osaka promotes patriotism in a way that is reminiscent of the country’s pre-World War II militaristic education. The preschool was also criticized for distributing to parents material disparaging Korean residents of Japan and Chinese people.

The prime minister’s wife Akie was the honorary principal of the soon-to-open elementary school in Toyonaka, Osaka Prefecture, but stepped down after the land deal controversy gathered pace.

Moritomo Gakuen bought the 8,770-square-meter plot last June for 134 million yen ($1.18 million), roughly 14% of its appraisal value, following negotiations with the Finance Ministry’s local bureau.

In the House of Councillors Budget Committee, a senior Finance Ministry official also denied any involvement of a politician in the land deal.

Link

LOL. This is all so obvious. How do they get away with it?

So much for a clean and beautiful Japan with traditional values...

[legion]

LOL. This is all so obvious. How do they get away with it?

So much for a clean and beautiful Japan with traditional values...

I think the point is these are the traditional values, and they will get away with it. People love getting ass fucked here, it makes them feel important to have such a well used orifice.

[Coligny]

Abe rejects probes into gov't, LDP over controversial land deal

..

Holy shit that's comedy gold right here...

[matsuki]

The traditional Japeeeezu phrase for this corruption is shu...wait, shi...no...ahh yes, shoganai

[Russell]

On-site investigation at Moritomo Gakuen suddenly cut short; new fraud claims emerge

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.

“I brought various documents to show the investigators, but I wasn’t told to bring the originals,” Kagoike said. “I said I hadn’t heard they wanted the originals and the prefectural officials left.”

But Yoshimoto said that when prefectural officials asked to be shown original receipts, Kagoike’s wife Junko — who serves as vice principal — entered the room and started pointing her finger at officials, accusing them of leaking documents to the media.

“She suddenly started taking pictures of the officials and wouldn’t stop,” Yoshimoto said. “We contacted Moritomo Gakuen’s lawyer and said that if we could, we wanted to do a proper investigation.”

The prefecture’s decision to investigate came after news on Wednesday that Moritomo Gakuen submitted three sets of contracts with three different figures for construction cost estimates for the land beside its new elementary school. The documents were sent to the Osaka Prefectural Government, the land ministry and Kansai Airports, the operator of Itami airport which managed the land before the sale.

The contract sent to the land ministry, in the hope of receiving more subsidies to offset the expenses, said construction costs would total about ¥2.38 billion. The one sent to the Osaka Prefectural Government estimated costs at ¥756 million in the hope of easing concerns that the new school couldn’t afford the land. And the one sent to Kansai Airports, in the expectation of receiving noise-related subsidies, totaled about ¥1.55 billion.

After Thursday’s meeting, Kagoike refused to explain to reporters why the figures were different.

The prefectural investigation comes as Moritomo Gakuen and Kagoike are facing new allegations. The city of Osaka said Thursday it is looking into allegations that Kagoike’s wife accepted ¥10 million in municipal aid under the condition that she work regularly at an Osaka-affiliated nursery school. The announcement came after local media reports said she spent little time at the school, in violation of her agreement.

In Tokyo Thursday, opposition parties continued calling for the president of the school operator to appear before the Diet to explain how his company obtained a piece of land valued at ¥956 million for just ¥134 million.

The four main opposition parties — the Democratic Party, the Japanese Communist Party, the Social Democratic Party and the Liberal Party — are facing strong opposition from the ruling coalition, especially the Liberal Democratic Party, over the matter. Representatives of the opposition parties will visit Osaka on March 16.

Osaka Gov. Ichiro Matsui on Wednesday also said he supports calls for Kagoike to testify in the Diet.

“I want the Diet to decide to summon Kagoike as an unsworn witness,” he said. “It’s best to hear from him directly about the land deal.”

Elsewhere, Defense Minister Tomomi Inada also found herself under fire in the Diet for remarks she made Wednesday defending the spirit of Moritomo’s educational philosophy, saying that Japan needed to return to that spirit.

Inada made the remarks the same day in response to a report in the weekly Shukan Bunshun magazine that her husband, lawyer Ryuji Inada, represented a failed Moritomo Gakuen school in 2003 before she became a Diet member. Both have refused to comment on the report, citing lawyer-client privilege.

As concerns mount in Osaka and the Diet over the land deal, questions also remain over whether Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s wife Akie, who gave a speech at Moritomo’s kindergarten in September 2015, did so as private citizen or a public figure. She was accompanied by civil servants who paid their own way, but was introduced as the prime minister’s wife. Still, Abe has said in the Diet she went in a private capacity.

Akie appeared at three events in Tokyo Wednesday to celebrate International Women’s Day, but avoided direct answers about her role with Moritomo Gakuen and how she feels about Kagoike.

“People who are criticizing me have various differences in thoughts and ideas,” she said at one event.

More

Traditional values, hehehe...

[legion]

Reminds me of AUM Shinrikyo after the gas attacks. In the days before the police stomped on them they took to driving through Shinjuku taking photos of the people walking along the street, of which I was one. Never forget the crazy looking woman sticking her head out of the car with one of those green disposable cameras and a manic look on her face. There were also in a weird fantasy world echo chamber.

[matsuki]

Defend the spirit!

[Taro Toporific]

Japan's Abe Is the World's Best Leader (except for that TEPCO thing).

tepco-abe.png

[Coligny]

Japan's Abe Is the World's Best Leader (except for that TEPCO thing).

tepco-abe.png

ehm...

wasn't that turd sandwich served to Naoto Kan ?

õw... how tepco can still be around or allowed to make profit is beyond me. But compared to the tide of moron claiming that nukular disasters are good for your health and like bananaz it's a minor issue...

[Russell]

School operator denies submitting dodgy documents to authorities

The head of a school operator insisted Thursday there were no serious inconsistencies in the documents pertaining to an elementary school under construction on land acquired through a murky deal with the central government.

But the Osaka prefectural government’s education board said the documents contained inconsistencies in figures concerning construction costs, which Gov Ichiro Matsui indicated meant the prefecture is now unlikely to give its permission for the school to open next month.

The project has come under scrutiny in parliament following disclosure that the school operator bought the land from the government at a fraction of its appraised price.

[...]

The president of the construction company involved in the project told Kyodo News that it produced a document putting costs at 756 million yen at the urging of Moritomo Gakuen and that one stating costs of 1.56 billion yen is the authentic contract.

Moritomo Gakuen apparently asked for the former document to make its financial standing look healthier and smooth the process of its school-opening application.

But Yasunori Kagoike, the head of Moritomo Gakuen, said Thursday that the documents submitted to the education board for approval to run the school are accurate.

Having obtained conditional permission from prefectural authorities, Moritomo Gakuen has planned to open the school next month. But Gov. Matsui indicated Thursday that the prefecture is now unlikely to give its permission for the school to open in April.

“(The figures in) the documents are all different. (Kagoike) must have had an intention of deceiving the Osaka government from the beginning,” he said.

Speaking to reporters before and after meeting prefectural school board inspectors, Kagoike admitted that the school incorrectly told prefectural authorities it made an arrangement with a private school in Aichi Prefecture to secure students. “The consultant made a mistake,” he said.

But he left other questions unanswered, including requests for an explanation as to why the school gave different estimates for construction costs in contracts it submitted to the prefecture and two other entities.

Education board inspectors went to the school Thursday to check on the construction and confirm aspects of the application. But the inspection was halted after 20 minutes, according to the prefecture, because Kagoike’s wife was photographing the officials without permission.

The inspection was conducted after the Osaka governor said last week that the school would not open as scheduled unless the operator submitted additional documents by March 14.

More

I wonder why this bitch started to photograph these inspectors. Possibly to identify them to her Yakuza friends?

[legion]

I wonder why this bitch started to photograph these inspectors. Possibly to identify them to her Yakuza friends?

Or at least to make them worry that she would.

[Russell]

Hah! It's starting to escalate.



Moritomo Gakuen head to resign, withdraw controversial school application

Moritomo Gakuen President Yasunori Kagoike announced his intention to resign Friday after telling Osaka Prefecture that he was withdrawing an application to approve the opening of a new elementary school.

With the withdrawal, which the prefecture has accepted, Mizuho no Kuni will not open as scheduled on April 1.

At a Friday evening news conference, Kagoike said he was resigning to take responsibility for the fact that the new school couldn’t be completed.

“I didn’t do anything bad. But I said that the school would be built, but it was not. So, I have to take responsibility for this fact,” he said.

Kagoike added that he had no inclination to appear in front of the Diet to give unsworn testimony. He also insisted that neither Prime Minister Shinzo Abe nor his wife Akie applied any political pressure to give his school a favorable land deal.

“They didn’t do anything on my behalf,” he said.

A flurry of revelations and accusations related to Moritomo and Kagoike have emerged since Thursday, shaking national politics. These include a new video of Kagoike that has cast fresh doubts on Defense Minister Tomomi Inada’s relationship with the scandal-plagued educational operation.

Moritomo has been hit with accusations of a shady land deal and criticized for its nationalist, prewar curriculum.

In an edited YouTube video broadcast on several television stations Thursday and Friday, Kagoike is seen standing in front of a purple curtain criticizing Diet members including Inada and Abe, who have both tried to distance himself from the scandal.

“Diet members are saying they don’t know me at all,” Kagoike said in the video. “But there are those Diet members who know me quite well.”

Kagoike alleged that Inada was wrong when she told the Diet that while she had met Kagoike once, she hadn’t spoken to him in about 10 years.

“We met about two years ago. It’s strange that she’s not talking about that,” Kagoike said.

As of Friday afternoon, Inada had yet to publicly reply to the allegations.

Kagoike also attempted to justify Moritomo’s nationalist educational philosophy, which it aims to indoctrinate into its students.

“We’re working on behalf of Japan. If I don’t open this new elementary school, who will? But in response, I’m being called a bad guy or too stubborn,” he said.

The last remark appears be directed toward Abe, who used “stubborn” last month in the Diet to describe Kagoike’s repeated communications with his office and his wife.

The video comes as questions are growing about whether Kagoike, and others with connections to the organization including Abe’s wife Akie, should be called to testify in the Diet, and whether such testimony should be sworn or unsworn.

Akie Abe made speeches at a Moritomo-run kindergarten on two occasions. Kagoike’s announcements came one day after a meeting with prefectural officials that was suddenly cut short.

The meeting was meant to probe questions about a piece of land Moritomo bought for the elementary school at a huge discount, and three different estimates of construction costs.A prefectural private education official said that when investigators asked for original receipts, Kagoike’s wife Junko — who serves as vice principal — entered the room and started pointing her finger at officials, accusing them of leaking documents to the media.

But Kagoike offered a different version of events.

“I brought various documents to show the investigators, but I wasn’t told to bring the originals,” he said. “I said I hadn’t heard they wanted the originals and the prefectural officials left.”

More

The finger pointing has started. Just hoping that Abe doesn't emerge unscathed...

[Takechanpoo]

I wonder why this bitch started to photograph these inspectors. Possibly to identify them to her Yakuza friends?

japanese ppl, who regard 世間体(the eyes of society) as something like god, extraordinarily are scared of being revealed their privacy in public.
especially police ppl is easy to become a target of internet gangbang. this nasty strategy has been frequently used by the leftwing protesters in henoko, okinawa, who film the faces of riot policemen, inspect their privacy, reveal it in public and go to their house to harass them and their families by mean ways(stalking their families, etc). this is the reason why the non-local riot policemen(most of them are from kansai) get dispatched there instead of the local ones.

[wuchan]

nah.. Take-a-poo the translation is "nippon kagi got caught with it's pants down and this cunt is the fall guy"

The Japanese people see politicians for what they are: 50% useless cunts and 50% tools I can use to help myself.

[matsuki]

I wonder why this bitch started to photograph these inspectors. Possibly to identify them to her Yakuza friends?

japanese ppl, who regard 世間体(the eyes of society) as something like god, extraordinarily are scared of being revealed their privacy in public.
especially police ppl is easy to become a target of internet gangbang. this nasty strategy has been frequently used by the leftwing protesters in henoko, okinawa, who film the faces of riot policemen, inspect their privacy, reveal it in public and go to their house to harass them and their families by mean ways(stalking their families, etc). this is the reason why the non-local riot policemen(most of them are from kansai) get dispatched there instead of the local ones.

If only there were some way to handle stalkers...

[matsuki]

Now the claim is Abe paid 1 million yen to these clowns...

http://news.yahoo.co.jp/pickup/6233364

They J-dudes I went to Thailand with were already saying "Sayonara Abe."

[legion]

Now the claim is Abe paid 1 million yen to these clowns...

http://news.yahoo.co.jp/pickup/6233364

They J-dudes I went to Thailand with were already saying "Sayonara Abe."

Don't believe it, a politician never pays for anything

[Yokohammer]

I am thoroughly enjoying watching the scum circus unfold. One dishonest bastard (Kagoike) making a bunch of other dishonest bastards (Abe et al) squirm. I will be very surprised and disappointed if a few heads don't roll. An exquisite exposė of just how filthy the political arena truly is.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Russell]

I am thoroughly enjoying watching the scum circus unfold. One dishonest bastard (Kagoike) making a bunch of other dishonest bastards (Abe et al) squirm. I will be very surprised and disappointed if a few heads don't roll. A truly exquisite exposė of just how filthy the political arena truly is.

And the nice thing is, it is all in slow motion...

[Takechanpoo]

by the way, these days what happened with samuraijerk and kurogane? they are dead or committed suicide? while even greji was confirmed as alive.

[wagyl]

by the way, these days what happened with samuraijerk and kurogane? they are dead or committed suicide? while even greji was confirmed as alive.

They did the honourable thing and went back to where they came from, leaving Japan for the Japanese.

Since the Japan experience counts for nothing back home, they have put their Japan life behind them now and are focussing on their futures.

[Takechanpoo]

it means that at last they completed the whole of rehabilitation courses for charisma men and graduated from being it.
it took such a long time but let me say from the bottom of my heart,
grats

[Takechanpoo]

https://www.facebook.com/presidentialco ... 938203729/
the forward-looking attitude of the philipine people should be imitated.

[Takechanpoo]

The quiet but substantial successes of Abenomics
https://www.ft.com/content/62cc7d40-2e6 ... ef563ecf9a

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

The quiet but substantial successes of Abenomics
https://www.ft.com/content/62cc7d40-2e6 ... ef563ecf9a

If people regard Abenomics as a success it shows an alarming acceptance of mediocrity. In a healthy, functioning democracy, a failure of this magnitude would be treated brutally by voters.

[wagyl]

Take has a subscription to the Financial Times???

I suppose there is no link to this type of reporting, and the fact that the FT is now owned by Nikkei....

[Coligny]

The quiet but substantial successes of Abenomics
https://www.ft.com/content/62cc7d40-2e6 ... ef563ecf9a

If people regard Abenomics as a success it shows an alarming acceptance of mediocrity. In a healthy, functioning democracy, a failure of this magnitude would be treated brutally by voters.

It is a traditionnal japanese behaviour to try to act like a normal person/country.
Then fail like a special kid at a nasa entrance interview...
Then call it another name to declare it a success...

[matsuki]

The quiet but substantial successes of Abenomics
https://www.ft.com/content/62cc7d40-2e6 ... ef563ecf9a

If people regard Abenomics as a success it shows an alarming acceptance of mediocrity. In a healthy, functioning democracy, a failure of this magnitude would be treated brutally by voters.

It is a traditionnal japanese behaviour to try to act like a normal person/country.
Then fail like a special kid at a nasa entrance interview...
Then call it another name to declare it a success...

I was recently asked how my apartment search was going by a group of Japanese I know. They have all lived abroad so I prefaced it all with "maybe you experienced this in other countries but..." and explained how many "no gaijin" responses I've received. The amount of bullshit excuses, it's not real racist comments, and sympathy for racist landlord policies is simply disgusting. Image of Japan as an anzen, sumiyasui place must apparently be upheld against all reason.

[wagyl]

By the way, those of you who do not read the Mulboyne tweets will be unaware that Abe is not the World's Best Leader. He is Number 50, just in front of Theresa May.

Keep Number 5 a secret: we wouldn't want anyone getting a swollen head.

It must hurt to come in the list after Robert Mugabe. Or maybe not, by some twisted logic.