23 health ministry employees party until midnight despite virus restrictions

the party held in the capital's glitzy Ginza distric

Sounds that they had fun AND money!

I know only one Izakaya in Ginza which I can effort to go.

And that place is a small hidden place. 23 people can not enter.

Here we go again . . . . . .

Same story, different day. And of all the government ministries, it is the Ministry of Health!

They must be highly educated people, ha. They have I’m guessing no family, no real friends apart from co-workers to spend time with. And apart from issuing urges that they don’t follow anyway, what do they do? My tax yen is really well spent.

Health Ministry Employees! What an utter disgrace.

This could make the winning submission for a sarcastic game of "Why I'm happy to pay my taxes." It's hard to make this stuff up.

Soon we will see deep bows, and hear the annoying phrase "It is regrettable". I have always said the rules and regulations do not apply to politicians or those in charge..smh

Funny how government mandates business operating hours during the pandemic, but then allows some to violate them to serve their selfish needs. No wonder no one is listening anymore to what the government wants its citizens to do.

If you didn't laugh about it, you'd cry. At the end of the day they are doing what we all want to get back doing. Other than bars/restaurants owned by corporates or in corporate owned buidings, the 9pm 'curfew' seems to be slipping away now, despite of its extension to April 21st. In any case no SOE now, no longer a mandate.

It’s not the number of diners that matters but how well they are protected from droplets by plastic shields or transparent acrylic panels. Personally I feel sorry for the Health Ministry officials. They just succumbed to peer pressure,

What more do you expect from a bunch of bureaucrats who got their job simply because they graduated from the right high school and went to the right university?

Let’s wait for the ‘spin’, *uh,... er,... ‘**facts’. **For now, it says “alleged***”. After all, media can be misleading until ALL the facts are in.

Until they start firing them they will continue to think they can get away with anything and we all know what will happen, they will bow and apologize and maybe take a salary cut for a month,

The same ministry had issues with overwork well over the legal limit. These guys do not really care about health . This diner is an additional proof.

Well, there’s no cure for stupidity!

The so called State of Emergency has been called off by the Japanese Government. So, what's the problem?

Because they know it's all bull.

People of Japan are being played hard, along with the rest of the world by the Economic Forum.

Who care if they party. They are just like us humans. Who wants to confined and can not go out and have fun.

Don't let the virus control you.

Japanese officials can be very thorough. Sometimes, their appears to be too many staff assigned *to do one job**. Giving benefit of the doubt until ALL facts are in, *this could have been and ‘after hours inspection’ of a business, staff and practices regarding the ‘Health and Welfare for the Elderly’.

Who care if they party. 

Everybody does, they are part of the people that are supposed to put an example and obey the rules they themselves are pushing for the general population. The recommendations are bland enough to make them even more irrelevant with these kind of scandals. Social distancing work, COVID is a serious threat to public health, don't let ignorance control you.

The lawyers for the restaurant chains that want to sue the Government over fines for refusing to close early would love this I think?

Government here needs a deep clean out.

As per usual, government wants us to do something and won't do it themselves... and let me guess, they are "surprised" and it's "regrettable". There will certainly be no punishment. And when the fourth wave hits... more "shock" and "surprise" and, "how could this have happened?"

Wish I could find places open until Midnight to party

It's that time of the year. Probably intended to leave earlier, and then the beer started flowing. Now for the ritual of deep bows and mumbled apologies. Tonight we'll probably see the minister of health waffle on about how regrettable it is. But they don't really care - except for getting caught out.

The bodies with their alcohol withdrawal symptoms were probably in a state of emergency, so they couldn’t do other than to go there. lol

A lot of catty remarks. None offering any manner of insight or understanding.

Oh dear, the Ministry of Gaffs is in full swing! The optics couldn't be better on this one; timing impeccable as always too!

Faito! ;P

Good for them!

Further proof that the dangers of the Corona have been greatly exaggerated.

I'm with Sam. If these people aren't in fear of their lives then their messaging to all of us is clearly bogus.

Sorry, Moderators: omitted poster’s original comment. ‘Respect’ is due

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Agreed @thelonius 7:47am.

a bunch of bureaucrats got their job simply because they graduated from the right high school and went to the right university.

This quote today; “*Be aware that you are a small group of people who have been given the opportunity to study.*" - Yoshiaki Terumichi, president of Sophia University.

In Japan, the 1%’s doctrine: “do as we say, not as we do.”

Birds of a feather flock together.

Such hard working officials, who are better than us ,need midnight meals to help them relax after helping us all!

Are they trying to copy California?

Only California politicians like Gavin Newsome and Nancy Pelosi have COVID “rules for thee, but not for me.”

The alleged "farewell" dinner party

This sounds like "we must honour senpai" taking priority over everything else, a once-in-a hundred-years pandemic the ministry is supposed to be dealing with included. The "osewa ni natta" senpai must get his (it'll be a man) sendoff regardless of any restrictions.

Isn't this a bit too much?

I mean... I agree they are probably just a bunch of people that got lucky enough to go to a nice university (probably without even studying, after they got in), so they could get a nice job, and now they feel they are better than others because of their "status".

But SOE ended, and there are no real rules or restrictions on where or till what time they can party.

And they are just normal workers inside the ministry, not really any important politician, so it's not like they have the moral obligation to be an example for others.

Yeah, they did something kinda stupid, and people will blame them for that, but any punishment would be way too much, and even quite illegal, I guess.

I really hope the voters remember this gross hypocrisy next election season.

Some chance.

Hope you've got deep pockets, folks - they're making it abundantly clear that your money is their money, to do with as they choose.

Like all the many recent government scandals, from stories like this, voting corruption, influencing telecommunications companies etc etc, this will be dealt with by deep bow apologies, and maybe a salary cut for a month or so. Next election the public will have all forgiven their misdeeds and the same people will be comfortably re-elected by a wide margin.

Probably, the subordinates were thinking that what they're about to do is not okay, but can't say anything to their boss. The boss thinks it's not okay, but too meek to disappoint his subordinates. Typical.

It is truly remarkable to read often the little care these politicians and institution have for their own people,but the real ones to blame are the people that keep voting to the LDP and this political class.

Japanese people in the end get what they deserve,nothing will ever change there.

Japanese people in the end get what they deserve,nothing will ever change there.

Exactly, everyone keeps blaming the J government but it's the Japanese people who are at the root of the problem. No sympathies whatsoever

They need to practice what they preach. Big Dummies.

The Japanese people are forever being played by those in charge of them-much worse is of course, hidden very well from scrutiny too...

There are 2 sets of rules here for politicans, famous people and for the public.

What's most fascinating about this story is that 23 employees of the HEALTH AND WELFARE BUREAU FOR THE ELDERLY were unable to work out that this would look really bad for them. Just how tone-deaf are they??