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© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Agriculture minister resigns amid political funds questions
By ELAINE KURTENBACH TOKYO©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.
32 Comments
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some14some
Has he been trying to explain in English? what an excuse ! Anyway, It was Abe's choice and he is not going to resign anytime soon.
sf2k
as long as it was regrettable, and lots of bowing ensued
jerseyboy
LOL. The "image" of most Japanese politicians is already only slightly above Mad Cow disease. Besides, he'll just resign, lay low for a few months to a year, and then magically reappear. The "talent pool" for J-politicians is ridiculously low, so they have to recycle everyone anyway.
Disillusioned
So, he received a one million payment and says it's ok, even though it is illegal to do so? I think he is right when he said that nobody would understand.
ReformedBasher
Pretty sparse on facts. Was he actually involved in something illegal or is it just the opposition creating a problem?
And when it's their turn, the same thing will happen, just as it always has.
warispeace
Abe's and his gang's "second coming" is almost the stuff of Yeats. "The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity."
BertieWooster
How can you tarnish something that's so corroded that you cannot see what it was in the first place?
If only we had a Snowden or Assange in Japan!
But if we did he would probably get bumped off by the ultra right wing like Itami Juzo.
bruinfan
It seems as if nearly all of these LDP ministers have the done same or worse, but it is just a matter of the "bad information" being released if they fall out of favor. I am not surprised, but I don't forget either. Go ahead and thumb down, but at least this comment will get many other thinking.
CrazyJoe
Politics' bedfellow: money.
harvey pekar
"Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters that he had resisted, but in the end accepted Nishikawa’s resignation."
Please. You know as soon as Nishikawa showed up to the office the next morning, his fishing pole and tackle box was outside the door and his resignation was already written up for him, just needed his signature. Nishikawa's gone fishin!
No President or Prime Minister is concerned if you take something on the side, just don't let your business get out in the streets.
paulinusa
Well there you go.
ADK99
What is it with Abe and Agriculture Ministers? In his first stint as PM I think he went through 3 or 4 in a few weeks.
GW
Haha the ldp have been pilfering from the country for over 5 decades and counting!
tapi0ca
wow. so, it is the people that are the problem? now i get it.
er, uh... what people? did someone in the minion neighborhood around me here squawk?
rickyvee
if it was a trade union, then nishikawa is correct. but the article is a bit vague on that. corporations cannot donate money but unions can. http://www.idea.int/political-finance/country.cfm?id=114
edojin
During a Diet session last week in which the Nishikawa problem came to the fore, Abe said something like everyone is doing it ... and he specifically named an opposition party doing such things. Later he said he was mistaken on this charge, but in actuallity never apologized for his mistaken charge.
When Minshuto took over the government several years ago, Jiminto, Abe's party, lost big because of its corrupt image. It's now a little more than two years since Jiminto regained power ... yet it still has failed to clean up its corrupt image. Perhaps Abe should work on this problem a little harder. How many more ministers in his administration are traveling the road of corruption? How many more members in the Jiminto Party are riding down the same road ... ??
HaraldBloodaxe
I'm shocked, shocked do you hear, to learn that an LDP cabinet member stands accused of corruption.
Cortes Elijah
All government people steal and miss use money. Think about it, what makes them more important to you? Nothing. All the government does is suck money from your pockets, making laws that imprison you.
SumoBob
Geez, it I had 10 yen for every time a prime minister said this tatamae line I could retire by now.
Yubaru
Like with anything in Japanese politics, keep your dirty laundry quiet, but if it gets out be prepared to fall on your own sword and take one for the Abe.
Who wants to bet that everyone in Abe's cabinet has something to hide?
hokkaidoguy
1 million yen?
That's what.. $8500?
Who cares. In most countries this would be considered an oversight by the accounting department. Return the money and move on.
CruisinJapan
Yesterday BertieWooster was on here arguing that approving the TPP is going to line the pockets of the top 1% wealthy without any real proof or valid discussion.
A day later, the head of farming steps down for campaign contribution issues. Bertie, I think you have it backwards. Just follow the money trail.
Politicians promise continued (and even expanded) subsidies for specific crops. Meanwhile they cut out foreign competition by imposing HUGE tariffs on imports.
And the votes and campaign contributions come from who again? The wealthy land-owning class that continue to reap subsidies and continue to prosper.
smithinjapan
So, if there was 'absolutely no conflict within the law', why did he later have to return the money? I watched him being grilled on the news last night and his answers were extremely pathetic. He just kept saying, "I've explained myself already," and sitting down, and Abe later defending him. Then they both left the room all smiles and posing for pictures. Scum.
DanielJP
Gotta watch out for those agriculture ministers
Yoshimi Onishi
The man had probably known all along that it was wrong to accept the donation from the company, but like a lot of politcians here, he is too thick-skinned to admit it.
sillygirl
Mr. Nishikawa I understand "donations," kickbacks, money under the table, promises, etc.
hokkaidoguy
@smithinjapan
Enlighten me.
His office took a donation from a building management company. When it was discovered that members of the Sugar industry association were on the board of directors of that company, the money was returned - regardless of the fact that there is no legal obligation to do so.
How does that kind of transparency qualify one as "scum"?
FizzBit
I'm sure JA has a lot more tricks up their sleeve to do anything to kill the TPP.
avigator
Japanese politicians are like underwear, they must be changed often.
impartial justice
Typical j politician with little credibility feeding a dearth of expectation from the Government to provide a solution to the woes of the Japanese economy; dark as it seems, the only way is up...
Juanjose Santibañez
¡I'm amazed!. In my country there is a lot of scandals of corruption and no one step down. Even in the japanese cases of corruption the citizens can receive this news about the step down of corrupted politiciens.