Inose admits he was naive about politics

Wow, another self-admitted unqualified person at the top in Japan. Wheeeeeee! "You mean that this is the best Japan can produce? All these top level universities? 'God's chosen?' The ones who called Chinese, Koreans, Philippinos and others dogs? The Superior race? The ones who elected Inose, an award-winning non-fiction writer who turned to politics in the early 2000s, to office? Perhaps he wrote some of the swanky comics I see everyone reading in conbinis around Japan. And he might be replaced by "Hideo Higashikokubaru, a comedian-turned-politician who resigned as a lower house member this week, and education minister Hakubun Shimomura." Just WOW!!!!!!

“I didn’t know how strict professional politicians need to be,” Inose, 67, said.

You didn't know, Inose-sensei ? But during 4 decades, you had accepted to be paid as a journalist and as a book author to tell us how politicians should be ...

Why was there no more information on these 96?

They are probably second knives, so local media deal with them, I hope. But I doubt that matters as their inaka clientele couldn't care less as they all get back some of the pork belly at each campaign. Inose was Edo's shogun, he deceived millions of people that are not bribed to vote.

excuses, lame excuses everywhere!

@smithinjapan "Are there no actual credentials required in Japan to be a politician?

Yes, there actually are some, but unfortunately, integrity is not a prerequisite. :)

Like manyt of the politicians in other counties or in the US for that matter, scandals over illegitimate in financial dealings are nothing new. But for a counties like Japan which seems giving an impression of honesty, honor, and wholesomeness, recent parade of fresh scandals crossed all walks of life may break the myth.

Mr. Inose definitely is not naïve as he claimed since he is a product of the Japanese party politics. His problem is that he was caught with his hands in the cookie jar.

uh, you were lieutenant governor for 4 years. what the heck were you doing during that time? not being a politician? the more this guy speaks the dumber he sounds.

Yeah, he really is naive and noble. Naive for being a good person and not realizing how bad politics can be. And noble for stepping down for the good of the Olympics. I think this guy is just too good for us. We don't deserve him. Our loss, guys.

Naive is just a prettier word for stupidity.

And its the first time I see the word Naive associating with a 67yo Japanese politician, or politician or any nationality.

Any person believing a word he says is by definition - naive.

Inose is an award-winning non-fiction writer who strayed into the realm of fiction when asked about receiving tainted cash.

Inose admits he was naive about politics

That hasn't stopped any other Japanese politician...

Okay ... Inose was hounded out of office. Well enough.

But I read somewhere in the Japanese press where 96 other politicians received money from medical group Tokushukai. Since then I've heard nothing about these 96 politicians. Would like to know who they are and how much they received. Why was there no more information on these 96? Could it be that some really big names are among this group? As the party in power has a past history of being corrupt, could it be that many of them were on the receiving end of some of those Tokushukai handouts?

Inose said he was naive in the world of politics. Could it be that the 96 are NOT naive in the world of politics? That they know how to save their skin under such circumstances?

Where's the Japanese press? Shouldn't they be investigating where else the Tokushukai money went? Come on press people ... wake up ... do your duty ...

Naive about politics?

Pull the other one, it plays Jingle Bells. And you'll be just in time for Christmas.

He is going to give writers and Nagano a bad name. A non-fiction writing that is waving a prop that seems to prove his guilt? A 67 year who has been in politics for 13 years, was a journalist, a social critic, an historian and went to Meiji University for a graduate degree in Political Science, naive? Don't think so. He can't be an idiot but he can be a hypocrite since he criticized the ruling party for not making reforms. Probably should take a long hard look at himself.

Isn't this kind of thing a firm step towards running for PM in Japan?

Pat yourself on the back when you get away with it and plead naive when you don't. Scum.

Sorry I was a naive amateur, give me a break. Imagine trying to get away with this in other walks of life.. a surgeon botches an operation and says sorry about that, I guess I was a bit naive about surgery.

He was caught out…that's how unprofessional here was.

He needed to take guidance from Teflon Ozawa on handling cash payments and loans...

This is a poor excuse for sympathy. In the beginning the Governor thought that his followers would believe him. even in the face of irrefutable evidence to the contrary which slowly surface. I'm going to assume that most politicians know when they are lying. I'm constantly amazed by how often politicians lie and then, of course their unwillingness to admit that they lied. The euphemisms that politicians use for what is, in many cases, bold-faced lies are legend. The biased media misinterpreted what they meant. Politicians words were distorted, misrepresented, or taken out of context. But of course politicians never lie, at least that's what they say. If politicians were truly honest with themselves which is what they must be before they can be honest with their people, they would approach politics from a much better place. It takes an incredibly strong person to work from a place of honesty and integrity in politics.

“I didn’t know how strict professional politicians need to be,”

This is one of the funniest quotes I have heard in a long time. Inose did exactly what other politicians do, the only difference is that he was caught. Most never are.

In a democracy, where the common people are supposed to be the leaders, there should be no such thing as a "professional" politician. This implies that Japan's politicians are a separate ruling class. When the politicians become a power unto themselves, they are much less influenced by the will of the people.

We don't need professional politicians, we need ordinary people with real-world experience and a sense of duty. Not a pseudo-aristicratic class with a sense of privilige. It's quite awful that much of the crop of "leaders" and prime ministers we have now are the sons of other politicians.

I see Ishihara lurking around in the background now and it wouldn't surprise me if he had something to do with this guys down fall, maybe be instrumental in either setting him him to take the money or giving him up to the authorities.

Either way Ishihara is a snake

He was naive as to how ridiculous his ludicrous explanations sounded to anybody with a functioning cranium.

I feel some regret because he was not the imperious blow-hard that Ishihara proved to be. But I feel no sorrow for his fate. He took the money under what could most diplomatically be termed "grey" circumstances. Then he lied (badly) about every aspect of the scandal. Blaming his actions on naivety is the coup de gras on his credibility.

Begone, Inose. Darken our door no more.

“I didn’t know how strict professional politicians need to be,”

As opposed to unprofessional politicians? clearly, he was one of about 90% of the politicians here. Judo champion? That's criteria! Comedian? That's criteria!

Are there no actual credentials required in Japan to be a politician?

He may have been naive, but those who helped him for their benefit and let him take the fall sure aren't.

I figure that he was used as an outsider to help get the 2020 games to Tokyo. Now that the games are coming here, he was seen as a liability since is an outsider, he may not know all of the people and rules that go along with giving the payback that will go along with all of the construction and payola that will come with the preparation for the Olympics, and they had to get him out to get somone with no experience in. My prediction, after 2020, and the dust settles from the Olympics, another outsider will be elected to Mayor of Tokyo so that he will be fhe fall guy for all kick back schemes that will be discovered and all of the ills that may have went wrong with the games to cover the rest of the career politicians "arses" until the commotion subsides and they find ways to throw him out.

"(insert 99% of Japanese politicians name here) admits he was naive about politics"

He was only naive in the way he handled the money. Inose was the complete Japanese politician in every other sense due to him being able to rise to the top. This man just worked the system and pumped it for everything he could. Only concerned about his own place in the world. I think the damage he has caused to this great city is quite considerable and will take many years to repair.

The resignation drama of Tokyo Governor Naoki Inose was confronted by the obstinacy of the problem of money and politics as usual.

He was a non-fiction writer before and his criticisms about the government and politics were sharp and his books were sold well. In the last gubernatorial election, Tokyo voters gave him a overwhelming victory. He is now saying he was an amateur in politics. Is he saying he received a dangerous money uncarefully?