Hirai was pictured watching a crocodile video in a parliamentary meeting. Photo: @livedoornews
politics

Japanese politician gets caught watching crocodile video during Diet session

47 Comments
By Katie Pask, SoraNews24

During a House of Representatives Cabinet Committee meeting on May 13,  Takuya Hirai, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, was photographed watching a video of a crocodile on his tablet. Unsurprisingly, the video was not at all related to the meeting’s topic, which was about the retirement age for prosecutors.

When questioned by the press, Hirai claimed he had only been watching the video for “about one or two seconds”, but it has been reported that he was actually watching the video for about five minutes. The incident is reported to have happened just nine minutes after the meeting had begun, while two other politicians were in the middle of a question and answer session. “The video just appeared and started playing while I was listening [to the other politicians],” Hirai commented.

Japanese netizens were amused by Hirai’s viewing habits.

“If he were watching a cat video, I’d forgive him.”

“This is how our taxes are being used…”

“I’m just glad he wasn’t watching porn!”

“A crocodile video is not just something that ‘appears’.”

“I actually thought this was kind of cute! Especially when he said ‘the video just appeared’!”

“His excuse is junior high student level of lame.”

“The fact that he can’t concentrate for even nine minutes… is he an elementary school student?!”

Tablets were only recently permitted to be used in Japanese parliament after the Digital Procedural Bill was passed in April 2019. Coincidentally, Hirai was the first politician to start using tablets during the meetings. After his embarrassing crocodile blunder, he may be reconsidering leaving his tablet at home.

However, he is not the first person to be busted doing something non-work related whilst on the clock, nor do we doubt he’ll be the last. Perhaps Hirai should consider working from home from now on, to avoid embarrassing fiascoes like this.

Source: Livedoor News via Golden News

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© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

47 Comments
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Ironically the same politicians can sleep in the parliament. :)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

How can a story like this possibly be complete without the actual link to the video?

Where's the link?

What's the crock eating? Dog? Goat? Boar?

The snout looks more like an alligator than a crock to me. Hard to tell from this angle.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

How this low quality life could possibly get into the govt ?

Perhaps he would share his naked body publicly in not too distant future.

Shameless, the quality of Japanese govt.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

at least he was awake! (not like Taro Aso)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

why are there sitting so close together?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Well, at least he was caught. He might have a fetish for crocodiles.

BTW, as Yubaru and Monty said.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Ah, Japanese politicians, as bad at being liars as anywhere else.

Hirai: "Well guffaw It just magically popped up while I was... ummm... it was only for two seconds! Oh, you got me watching it for seven minutes? Well chortle I meant, it just popped up for the... ummm... seven seconds you say? Oh... minutes... right. Well, I mean, it COULD be called related, right? We are, after all, as a society eating our own now... or hey, BEING eaten? Right? You can all relate? Right? So, actually, I see what I was doing as a service to society... for seven seconds... minutes? Oh yeah... right. Okay, fine. Busted! We were talking about seniors so I was trying to check out granny porn, and THEN this popped up. Believe me now?"

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@rainyday bwahhh. Aso was reading his manga book

0 ( +0 / -0 )

No bid deal for me. Animal kingdom lover. Maybe something his kid sent to him. Dad check it out kinda thing.

Why can’t Crocodiles ever admit that they’re wrong? Cause they live in Da Nile. Like our Japanese Politicians.

" 2 Masks and the 100.000 Corna payout sure to come soon" Da Nile! Da Nile! Da Nile! Denial.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Chomping on a sheep....very telling!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Even they get tired of the useless meetings that they attend just to get nothing done.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Gator-gate

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Chomping on a calf?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Fair enough, it probably gets pretty boring in there.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Sasuga, LDP.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Looks like he is wearing a mask though. Lets focus on the positive here. What would you rather have, no mask and sleeping or mask and learning about animals? Who knows, maybe he was just scrolling through the news and was reading about those 'murder hornets' and wanted to compare them with 'murder gators'.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

lucabrasi Today  10:04 am JST

had to log in just to express my appreciation..... wunnndrfull!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

What a crock! Can't even watch videos at work anymore. When he gets voted out due to this egregious breach of the rules, they can all serenade him '' See ya later alligator. In a while crocodile!'

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Only one or two seconds? Hah!

This chap is clearly in de Nile....

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Looks like an alligator to me.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

What hurts me is that he is a liar.

Now think had the followi'g question be asked to him :

How many people got infected by covid19 so far?

"Only a few..."

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

The less time a politician is working, the less control the government has over the people’s lives.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I love a good crocodile video, goes to show how interesting the Diet session was. Wonder what the crocodile was doing?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Crocodile Rock!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Didn't see this story on NHK.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

And now I know why most of us have had to resort to cup ramen and tap water.

Mr. Abe, I have paid my taxes that have, in a timely manner, made it to my home. I'm am still waiting for my masks, 100,000JPY and application to the 2million relief funds your promised as I have lost more than 60% of my income over the past 2 months. AND as I continue to pay ALL my bills like a good resident, my bank is getting closer and closer to 0JPY.

So, let's stop dilly dallying around in the diet sessions and help the hard working tax payers of Japan before it is too late. An apology down the line will not make people feel better, feed, cloth, educate nor house our kids.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Hahaha, Japan's adult children politicians. It could have been porn.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

It could've been worse lol

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Unsurprisingly, the video was not at all related to the meeting’s topic, which was about the retirement age for prosecutors.

Well, they were talking about a bunch of old crocs.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

At least he was doing something slightly active. Most of the rest of them were napping or staring blankly at nothing.

What do they care? They are Japanese politicians. Actually DOING something doesn't come into their job description.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

CRIKEY!

7 ( +7 / -0 )

He's LDP. Abe has told him how to vote.

Why should he listen to Abe et al Not answer legitimate questions from the opposition?

5 ( +6 / -1 )

At least he was awake.

22 ( +22 / -0 )

I feel a little bit sympathy for him.

Like Yubaru said, who the hell wants to listen to these old guys talk

Next time better choose Porn.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Who photographed him? He must have been looking at the video for a while, unless the photographer just happened to be taking a shot of the back of his head...

And who watches crocodile videos?

10 ( +10 / -0 )

Can't blame him really, who the hell wants to listen to these old guys talk!

12 ( +17 / -5 )

Just about sums up the state of political affairs there.

8 ( +11 / -3 )

Crocodile tears to come! Gold.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

Hirai just catching up with the relations..

7 ( +9 / -2 )

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