Land minister Tatsunori Ibayashi faces a fresh allegation of violating the Public Offices Election Act, after Daily Shincho reported that prizes at a lunch for female party members came from his office, making him the third minister in a row caught in funding trouble.
The lunch, "Ibayashi Tatsunori o kakomu lunch-kai", is held every year by the women's division of the Liberal Democratic Party's Shizuoka No. 2 district branch, which Ibayashi heads. His office supplies the prizes for the raffle that closes the event, Daily Shincho reported.
At a lunch three years ago at the Yaizu Cultural Center in Yaizu, Shizuoka Prefecture, more than 50 female party members attended at ¥2,000 each, according to people who were there. After a speech by Ibayashi, the program ran through various events.
The raffle came last. The top prizes were souvenirs Ibayashi had bought on overseas inspection trips.
“He often buys tote bags and water bottles on overseas trips and uses them as prizes. There are also sweets sold at LDP shops. I hear office staff carry them in cardboard boxes from Tokyo.”another attendee, attendee at the lunch
Branch books show spending above income
Daily Shincho examined the branch's political funds report. In fiscal 2023 the women's lunch brought in ¥204,000 in income against ¥538,146 in spending. The previous year's spending also far exceeded income, leaving Ibayashi's side to cover the costs, the magazine reported.
That raises a strong suspicion that benefits were provided to voters, which the law restricts.
The magazine reported last month that a raffle at an event held by Agriculture Minister Shin Takebe, Ibayashi's cabinet colleague, handed household appliances and other prizes to voters in his district. Ibayashi's case may raise the same legal questions.
“Participants not only receive prizes in the raffle but also effectively watch a performance for free that they should pay for separately. I have to say this is highly likely to constitute a "donation" to voters in an electoral district, which the Public Offices Election Act prohibits.”Hiroyuki Uwaki, professor at Kobe Gakuin University
Daily Shincho put the questions to Ibayashi through his office. No reply came by the deadline, with the office saying it needed time to look into the facts.
Apology already made over funding party
Ibayashi, 50, apologized on November 5 over a political funding party he held in Tokyo at the end of October. He had received some payments after taking office, which raised the possibility of breaching the rules for ministers.
The questions come as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's cabinet picks keep running into trouble. Former agriculture minister Yana Wasei, 47, resigned less than a month into the job over a series of problems that began with a recording described as a threat.
Takaichi named Shin Takebe, 56, as his successor without heeding the advice of those around her. Questions soon arose over Takebe as well.
Takebe was sworn in at the Imperial Palace on October 15, the day after Yana resigned, with a tense expression. The choice of Takebe had defied most predictions.