Tokyo governor Naoki Inose resigns over undeclared 50m yen loan
Governor Naoki Inose bows out under pressure from opponents and own party after admitting he took undeclared cash from medical group
Tokyo's governor, one of the main faces of the city's successful bid to host the 2020 Olympics, resigned yesterday after admitting he was naive for accepting an undeclared US$500,000 from a hospital tycoon.
Naoki Inose, who was elected governor a year ago, had faced weeks of intense pressure over suspicions that the money amounted to a bribe in an attempt to influence policy.
"I have decided to resign from the post of Tokyo governor," Inose told a hurriedly arranged press conference.
"I intended to fulfil my duty of explaining to the city assembly, people of Tokyo and people of the nation, but regrettably I could not clear doubts over me."
Inose was a key figure in Tokyo's successful bid for the 2020 Olympics and he said his resignation was partially aimed at avoiding a negative impact on preparations for the Games.
I decided that my stepping down is the only way to break the impasse
"At this important juncture when Japan needs to ... jump-start towards 2020, we can't afford to paralyse the metropolitan government with my problems," he said. "I decided that my stepping down is the only way to break the impasse."
Writer-turned-politician Inose acknowledged in November he had received 50 million yen (HK$3.77m) from the political family behind the huge Tokushukai medical group before last year's gubernatorial election.
The money, handed to him in cash, was kept in a safety deposit box and, said Inose, was a personal loan that had nothing to do with his campaign.
Under Japanese election law, campaign treasurers must report all income such as donations related to electioneering. Those who violate the law can face prison terms of up to three years or fines of up to 500,000 yen.
Inose has been grilled by a hostile assembly on several occasions, with the media picking apart his appearance and stuttering performance, focusing on beads of sweat that dripped down his neck.
At hearings and in press conferences he has waved around a piece of paper he insists amounted to a loan agreement, although observers noted that it bore no date for repayment and showed no terms and conditions.
On another occasion, he produced a bag in which he claimed to have carried the large bundle of cash. Opponents delighted in trying to prove that the sum would not fit inside the holdall.
Yesterday, the 67-year-old admitted he had been naive about the cut and thrust of politics.
"I didn't know how strict professional politicians need to be," he said. "I was an amateur politician even though I knew well about policies. I myself thought it was extraordinary that I became Tokyo governor," he added.
Pressure grew when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose Liberal Democratic Party supported Inose's run for the job, was reported to be keen on drawing a line under the scandal.
"The fact that [Inose] received a large sum of money from someone who does business related to his authority [to approve hospital openings] is enough to warrant his resignation," Masahiko Komura, deputy head of the LDP said.
The money trail surfaced in September when prosecutors raided the headquarters of Tokushukai over claims it had paid staff to campaign for the election ambitions of Takeshi Tokuda, an heir to the family fortune.
A week later Inose's secretary returned the 50 million yen to the family, but by mid-November the transaction had become public knowledge. Inose then said he was offered the money and felt "it would be rude to refuse".
NHK reported it was Inose who reached out to the Tokuda family, and had asked for 100 million yen before the election.
An election to replace Inose is expected next month.
