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© 2014 AFPLawmaker bawls at press conference over his use of public funds
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© 2014 AFP
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semperfi
What an immature irresponsible response - Go back to Kindergarten
oikawa
Is this a joke? He wouldn't get past the first round of an Elementary school drama club audition. That's some of the worst acting on YouTube and that's saying a lot.
nath
This is not an apology, it's a child's tantrum.You can practically imagine him peeking between his fingers to see if his outburst is having the desired effect.
Serrano
How did this guy ever graduate from junior high school, much less get his current job?
hatsoff
This report is wrong in one detail - there were no tears "streaming" down his face. If he thought this tactic would win him sympathy then it simply underscores the bad judgement and deceit he's already shown in his short political career. Fire him now.
bass4funk
That was THE absolute worst behavior and childish public outburst I have ever witnessed in politics. This guy is beyond embarrassing. This guy NOT only shouldn't be in politics, he should move back in with his parents the guy is mental, I have never witnessed anything like this before in my life working in the media and I have seen some outlandish things, but this is just the epitome of stupidness.
sillygirl
Just watched it again. What a tool.
M3M3M3
Apparently he refuses to reveal who he was 'visiting' on his 'trips' because he promised the 'person' anonimity...
smithinjapan
Redefines pathetic. The question is, will Japanese society reelect him or show him the door?
jj1067
this was so funny!
bpsitrep
He's been watching too many JDrama's, thinks that his acting is going to get him leniency for his criminal actions.
David Wagner
If he wants some good media training, he should call me.....Lord knows he needs it!
DenTok2009
The man got the votes which means his speeches of what he was going to do as assemblyman must have convinced people that he was the man for the job. (!!!!!) I wonder what his supporters make of his press conference antics. ("Did I really vote for this guy?", "I still support him!", "Where's his mommy?" are just some of the reactions going through my head. =p)
Michael Craig
Get this guy a pack of adult diapers!
senseiman
Unfortunately reading it in print doesn`t quite do the outburst justice, you have to see the video to truly grasp how ridiculous it was.
Nenad Jovanović
He wanted to shock reporters, so that he can avoid questions, heh.
alladin
What a joke!! He deceives everyone then cries about it... he should not have been a lawmaker in the first place.
papigiulio
the shocking thing is that he acted weird a couple of times before and he still could keep his job. this guy is right for the asylum
Jerry Alan Carroll
even after being here about 20 years....this is still one thing I hate about Japan...they think apologizing and showing remorse solves everything and means they should be forgiven.
jerseyboy
Just remember the adage that people get the government they deserve -- People actually elected this tool. Which is either a comment on them, or the childish way camaigns/elections are held in Japan. Or both.
Aaron Loki Brummett
Stop yelling at me! LOL!
LFRAgain
This was a fun way to start my morning. To be honest, it made me giggle a bit. Poor, pathetic fool. Well, there's always a future for him on one of any number of evening network dramas. He seems to have the ham factor down pat.
nath
Is it only me who is wondering why the story doesn't report the political party to which he belongs?
nath
Lol. Wowzers.i dknt think k have anything to add here, just wow.
toshiko
According to media reports, he spent the money on 195 trips he made to four locations in one year, including 106 visits to the same hot spring resort, all without producing a receipt or a report.
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There are 365 days in a year. He had 195 trips. 106 the same hot spring resort. He can not produce a report. Maybe he can not produce because he was with women in these trips?
globalwatcher
He is a drama king!
Mirai Hayashi
What an idiot! How was this guy elected to office? Total cry baby (literally)
lucabrasi
@Mr. Perfect
He doesn't belong to any party.
Jonathan Prin
He is been elected in mental asylum, hasńt he ?
Apologizing and remorse is pathetic in Japan. In the meantime, they do that even if sometimes there was no error, or opposie if you killed and raped 20 people. Japan is absurd and I won't be the last to tell you. At least it bribgs peace to country because it goes right away public.
paulinusa
Finally something good on television.
FizzBit
I haven't laughed that hard watching something on Japanese TV in a long time. I thought it was a comedian just mocking the whole system until I realized he was real and trying to be sincere. Lol
nath
The people at the hot spring, and taxi drivers in the area, are all saying they've never seen him there before. On top of this, the local hot spring association head says he has never met with this guy, which if he was actually doing work for the government, he almost definitely would have met with him.
FizzBit
Hookers-n-booze then?
maxjapank
"The assemblyman shouts incoherent excuses in between gut-wrenching sobs, punctuated by the long intakes of breath necessary to power the next outburst."
What a wonderful translation! lol! I almost spit my coffee out!
Ali Khan
you confused me while watching your video, i was thinking time and again what kind of comedy it is. one thing is sure Japanese do not care while voting, whom they are voting for? how disconnected the Japanese are with politics and politicians.
Stuart hayward
Typical politician, except he was caught doing what they do best! I'm sure Abe and his party members would be crying to, if they and their children, were forced to serve in the military after the "changing" of article nine.
ka_chan
Sounds like a politician. He did say anything, He didn't say why or how the money was spent. Didn't say who he met on these trips. Just blamed the media for not "understanding". So nothing was learned from him about the $30,000 in expenses. Nor, was there any apology. Yep, he is a politician.
Sidekick
He's been watching too many JDrama's
Maybe, Korean dramas. Anyway, this byproduct of modern society have never heard about code of behavior let alone samurai spirit.
tmarie
Nonomura, who was elected to the assembly in Hyogo Prefecture in 2011, is suspected of misusing three million yen of official allowances.
No, he is suspected of misusing a lot more. It has come to light that he supposedly made 345 to Fukuoka in his time in office with ONE receipt. He claims to not have known how to get a "ryoshusho" from the shinkansen ticket machine so was unable to get receipts to prove his trips. Asa Chan show his last few weeks of April this year. Tokyo, Fukuoka, Tokyo, Fukuoka... for about 12 straight days. He is clearly lying about the reciepts AND working.
The most shocking thing is, he hasn't been and won't be punished for lying, stealing and cheating the system because "he hasn't broken any rules". This country and their government leaders are a joke. Hyogo voters should be demanding he be fired and his pension taken awaty for the time he served. He should also have to pay the millions back he has stolen over the last few years and people should not be allowed to claim anything without a ryoshusho - more official than a reciept.
JoeBigs
This guy wants his mommy and a nap, but all this guy really deserves is a swift kick in the nads.
taj
Bassfunk, he should not move back with his parents. He should be hospitalized. Dude needs to be committed. And charged with fraud.
And the person / department that was approving all those expense claims sans receipt needs to be investigated and at least fired, possible charged.
ratpack
Geez....going on how pathetic politicians are in this country don't be surprised if this sook ends up running the country one day.
Speed
Samurai Japan
kolohe
What a drama queen, hoping the drama would deflect what he has done!
TravelingSales
What party is he from?
nath
Already asked and answered earlier in the thread.
GW
Haha this guy is no were even near half a deck of cards
Probie
What a disgusting manchild.
Idiots like him shouldn't be in positions of power.
Kick him out. Really give him something to cry about. Stupid childish fool.
Magnet
Only supports my theory that this country is run by a pack of incompetent and severely corrupt man-childs.
fds
and the lying continues....he never really answers any of the questions and the crying is just an act to get out of answering...can he be disciplined or impeached? he deserves it.
he says he's going to give back the money but he should also give back his salary for not doing what he's paid for.
fxgai
Serrano,
Mirai Hayashi,
tmarie,
All - this is Japanese democracy.
It is a national embarassment. Makes you wonder at what point a majority of Japanese voters would actually sit up and start to think about what they are casting votes for, but I suspect most simply enjoyed the entertainment. Sure beat Samuragochi's press conference!
kwatt
Really it makes me laugh! He must be another comedian! I wonder why people voted for him for city assemby. I think voters are stupid.
LBW2010
I have nothing against grown men crying. But this is a little weird.
ribstick
First those tools who shouted the sexist remarks, now this. What the world must be thinking of J-politicians now.
gogogo
Sorry he was caught.... what a fake mess this guy is
FightingViking
Aren't those what are known as "crocodile tears" ?
fxgai
ribstick,
It's J-voters that worry me.
ReformedBasher
What would you think Sherlock?
I would guess this guy is putting on this act so he looks "mentally disadvantaged" for the trial. But if he is that coherent, how did he expect to get away with what he's done? Truly an odd individual. Not to be underestimated, yet alone trusted.
Does he have a wife and kids?
kaynide
If this is his "true self" here, surely this can't be his first outburst... right? Either he did well up to now to hide his crazy behavior up to now, he's never had to deal with a high stress environment (not likely) or he's lying.
HaraldBloodaxe
This really is astounding.
First off, 3 million yen? That's chicken feed for a politician to be caught misappropriating. Ishihara in his heyday would have spunked that on a single "fact-finding trip".
Secondly - he spent all of his ill-gotten gains in the same onsen resort? Have a bit of imagination, man. Where's your ingenuity? Embezzling from the public purse to have a bath twice a week?
Thirdly - that's the worst bit of play-acting I've ever seen. My daughter was better at feigning wronged innocence when she was two - and it didn't get her anywhere either.
If he genuinely thinks this shrieking is the way to placate the electorate, he has even more contempt for the taxpayer than most. Does anyone know if he's from some kind of dynastic political family? He does have the air of a hissy-fitting princeling, offended by the audacity that his feudal entitlement to the public purse has been challenged by the vassal class.
If he isn't removed from office by the citizens of Hyogo, there is no hope.
Wakarimasen
Excellent. and will likely work in getting him off the hook. Regret, hysteria, tears combined - the perfect trifecta
afanofjapan
There are messed up politicians all over the world. Right, so we established this guy is misusing public money, something which i suspect most politicians are guilty of. Make him pay it back or kick him out.
The fact that his childish outburst gets more news than the finding that it was the LDP party leader who yelled out sexist remarks in parliament is what worries me.
hampton
Shut up, shut up, why you laugh?
USNinJapan2
Watched this on the late night news last night. Hands down the most entertaining thing I've seen on Japanese TV in a very long time...
Americanhonor
The guy has mental issues and is doing his best obly at being deceitful, he has a history of weird contradictory and abusive behaviour. Best to strike him off the political seat and put him to work in factory so he regains some humility and honest appreciation.
fupayme
So glad that 42% of my income goes to fuel the great politicians we have here in Japan.......sob give me back my money
tmarie
Sorry that should say *without one receipt.
The guy has probably been sitting at home collecting pay and not doing a damn thing. As mentioned, no one in Kinosaki knows him.
This guy does not have menatl issues. He just knows the old "tears and say sorry" will get one out of trouble.
God lord Japanese politicians are making Japan the laughing stock of the world in the past year or so. Crying, lying, sexist comments, media blackouts, cover ups... Yes, honorable Japan indeed. Where is the spirit of the samurai when you need it?
hampton
Having watched this I am going to have to take up watching Japanese TV again. I didn't know this level of entertainment existed in Japan since Girugamesh Night was dropped.
yokatta
Yikes! Off to the psych ward & on suicide watch.
Disillusioned
What a LOSER!!! He wanted to change Japanese society so he misused 30 grand in public funding? It seems to me he is just as corrupt as the rest of the J-politicians. Make him pay back the money, give him a hefty fine and throw him out of politics forever!
toshiko
Top cpmment of the photo ends with "FAL;SE CRYING?" (Uso Naki?)
Second line, black letter kanjis are Keppalu Shcho - Claim Innocent. while crying chaotic.
Enlarge picture. Bottom shows his belief on election. Dare ga dare ni tohyo shitemo onaji da to omotte. it might continue but that is all I could see. anyone can vote to anyone and result will be same.
AlexCook
Poor guy. People need to understand that we all make mistakes. He made a mistake and apologized with all his heart. Those tears were genuine and heart-felt. Give the poor guy a break.
Elizabeth Heath
Wah! Wah! I got caught! Mummy, these nasty men are asking me questions about the naughty thing I did. Wah, wah! I didn't mean it, it was a mistake. Wah! Wah! He has been caught lying and cheating money from the tax payer by making false and dubious travel claims, which themselves should have set alarm bells ringing a long time ago. His claims that he didn't know he could get receipts from ticket machines, that he didn't know he was breaking the rules and his refusal to speak about these trips ans who was with him are pathetic. He should be done for fraud.
Alina Enoki
Funny.Really funny.I will try that.
blvtzpk
'Lawmaker,' huh? There should be a law made against such bad acting!
toshiko
I just enlarged new picture above and when I did, his funny crying speech beside a lady comment speaker's explanation. Put cursor on pic and press enter, and you can hear his yelling speech. Did not sound crying. More likely same as an angry rughless Japanese man.,
iagbp423
His action and excuse were uttely mumbo jumbo.
Jimizo
Imagine what his poor mother must have gone through dragging him away from the sweetie section in the supermarket when he was a child.
GW
If this loser was my son I would ground him LOL!!!!...................for life!
sighclops
As it's an "allowance" - make him pay every penny back! Then charge him!
globalwatcher
This guy is a fraud, not even a politician. He cannot serve for the people. Kick him OUT.
smithinjapan
I couldn't even watch past about the ten-second mark. That was TOO embarrassing and pathetic.
nath
Reminds me of some of the people I have worked with in Japan.
Michael Grant
Wait until he has to pay all the money back...THEN he'll really be crying! Oh, what am I saying? He'll never have to return a single yen...ugh.
Spanki
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuuIR_HqNWo
it's uncanny
timtak
Interestingly, one of the few policies that he has proposed and his main platform was the reduction by half of assemblyman salaries (currently 14 million Yen per annum), and that those politicians who vote against this initiate should be named and required to explain themselves. He also appealed for clean politics, arguing that all dodgy accounting (不正経理) never be forgiven but rather be researched exhaustively. I wonder if he was simply a hypocrite in extremis, or whether those he would have "researched" aided his exposure.
Apparently he has done nothing illegal (unless perhaps it be proved that he did not visit the places that he said he was visiting) so I guess he will be keeping his job until the next elections. At least as a result of this scandal the requirements for claiming expenses may be changed.
It would be cool if this change in accounting practices turned out to be the motive for his not providing receipts and putting on this performance. He does say in the performance that he obeyed the prefecture manual for claiming expenses.
I also wonder how much on average politicians receive in the way of "political expenses". Is 3 million a lot or a little? Together with salary that makes for 17 million yen.
brians
The article suggests that Nonomura's 195 trips at taxpayer expense would not have presented a problem had he simply provided documentation. Really? Has he been arrested? Free on bail?
Simon Foston
Comedy gold.
Hide Suzuki
someone give him a pacifier already
ohayo206
I am very scared for Japan.
3RENSHO
20 million yen, reported a few minutes ago on TBS 'Hiruobi' noon wide-show, as the average per annum for a Hyogo-ken prefectural Kenkaigiin Assembly Member (includes base of fourteen million plus six million for "research" and other expenses...)
nath
These are the people they have in office calling the shots and social standards of a country. If this does not scare you, you should have your head checked. They are like elementary school kids. And not in the pure childlike sense. His reaction makes me want to slap him.
nath
So he should be labeled an independent.
Cggn Kr
This is funny, in fact very funny! Even kids don't do this...hopeless! Looks to me he's IQ is very low, sub zero; is that fit to be a politician? None sense!
nath
I honestly dont find such behavior in Japan to be so outrageous anymore. I have seen this allot, actually, albiet in different forms. From selective hiring and situational ethics, to oyaji dressing as maids walking down the street, not much suprises me anymore. Im actually ashamed somedays to live here, however. It makes you stop and think, just what the heck is going on here?
danalawton1@yahoo.com
It is the tip of the iceberg.... Japan is rife with embezzlers and most of it stems from Japan still being a Cash society. Politicians don't want things to change one bit and neither do the Yakuza.
wontond
Geez man, have some self respect. It would have been less embarrassing if he had said he spent the money frequenting a hostess bar. Heck, even spending the money at a host bar would be more dignified than this pathetic display.
Serrano
Spanky - Thanks for the link, ha ha, but seriously, this case is rather sad.
nath
Forgive me for going native, but I also have adapted the "its shoganai" attitude. Nothing here changes, and with such weirdness day in and day out, the Japanese have developed the clever coping stratedgy of "it cant be helped"
Lying, manipulation, while its not on the scale of some other places, is quite common here, just depends on what situational outcome they want to achieve.
Its this core issue along with other cultural "uniquness" that will prevent immigration reform and other radical changes in Japan to ever take place. There is no conduit or structure in place to allow for it.
globalwatcher
I have just seen this same video on Jimmy Kimmel on ABC tonight. It is all over the world.
timtak
According to the commentator he has done nothing illegal even as it stands (even without providing receipts). His parting words were that this is a problem for the whole assembly. And the commentator said that (due to all the fuss being made now) the rules (rule book tebiki) regarding political expenses is likely to be changed so that this is not possible in future.
If it really is true that till now at least, it was okay to use 300man, 3 million yen without providing a reciept then this is something that imho should be changed, and something that someone who was elected on a clean politics platform would want changed. But how can one politician change it? Will his peers vote for stricter accounting of political activities expenses.
I am beginning to think that by this performance, Nonomura has succeeded in changing the system in line with his policies all on his lonesome.
techall
he shrieked during the three-hour press conference in Kobe.
He kept this up for THREE HOURS?,,The press stayed around and watched this crap for THREE HOURS?
Jeff Mullins
He cried, so everything is OK now. He'll just continue on as before. Happens here all the time.
sighclops
"106 visits to the same hot spring"
Hmm...
Himal Tea
wow, this is priceless!
telecasterplayer
I'd vote for him. Everyone deserves a second chance.
Natalia Kilani
ok, one thing he is a mentally weak but another is who the heck hired him? his twin brother..? .are there many of them in japan? xD****
Green Panda
It seems his true calling in life is actually acting.
Brian Wheway
3 million yen is about £16.500 come to the UK mate here were told buy OUR politicians that it is totally justified for digging out there moats and building duck houses, and they would blame US, the tax payer its our fault that they live in a whopping grate big mansion!!. this guy is in the "junior league" never mind the "grant arrogant" he should be in.
souka
most people here are not that interested in politics, and that how the product of an election shows quite unprofessional and very incompetent people being elected. and he want to change japan? by using public funds to onsen many times and now answering questions like this? what a joke.
wtfjapan
this about sums up the infantile mentality of many of Japans polititions.
gokai_wo_maneku
I'm pretty sure it has happened before. This guy just got caught doing it on TV.
G.MAL.O.Q
The guy had a 3:30 hour (!) press conference where he repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and refused to resign. When submitted to intense questioning by journalists who seemed to enjoy what turned into a typical bullying session high-school style, the guy finally broke down live (which was exactly what they wanted)
I could not care less to defend the guy but can we get the full story…for a change ?
toshiko
According to his photo display, he is a Mushozoku meaning he does not belonh to amy party -not necessarily Independens who usually have own political views. The moderator who interivewed him did not tak any stands or analysis on his claim of innocent. She just was interviewing in Japanese language. Again, she did not behave like a criminal investigator or criminal court judge. She was just interviewing, He was yelling and yelling that the moderator could not stop him and it went on and on, The interviewer could not stop him.
Sensato
I'm not sure of the reason, but it seems to me that people in Japan are much more prone to hysteria and dramatic fits than was the case several decades ago. I have seen this sort of unbridled, adult tantrum-on-the-floor-type meltdown in Japan many times, most often its a woman though.
nath
He actually only got voted in to his current seat on his fifth try--and with barely 10,000 votes (makes you wonder what kind of candidates he was up against). His campaign was controversial from the start, since he started out calling himself a member of Hyogo Isshin-no-kai, even though he had no affiliation with Hashimoto's party. So the guy wasn't exactly a model of success and opprobrium to begin with...
Knox Harrington
This is fake, on so many levels... Crocodile tears if I ever saw any. Fits in perfect with the image of Japan and its uniqueness - become a public servant, embezzle the sh¡t out of you allocated funds, then try to cover it up, only to pretend to be sorry and preferably cry when you inevitably get caught. Don't worry, you won't understand, it's our culture!
One of the worst performances I've ever seen and not nearly as fun as "Why are you laughing?! Don't laugh Shaddap! Shaddap!"
FizzBit
I just can't help comparing this cry baby's reaction to the reaction of the woman who was sexually harassed recently. Japanese women really need to take over this country before these morons FUBAR. That's if it's not too late already.
spinningplates
Sell his house and car to repay the tax payers, reassign him to help dig the trench for the Fukashima ice-wall. Make this the standard penalty for public servants who abuse their positions and embarrass themselves.
ozellis
It's a fragile society.
Mental illness.
Clear that this is the problem, difficult to identify the patient...Nonomura or the people who elected him.
Vincehwr
He is lucky born in the modern era all he gets is some ridicules. If he was born in the samurai, he would have been ordered to do seppuku immediately.
timtak
Folks still seem to be criticising this chap. But, 3 and a half hours of fake tears later, and Nonomura may have achieved his election pledge of preventing political embezzlement, by drawing attention to a possible example, and promoting a change to the rules on political expenses, requiring politicians to submit receipts in future. Far from being mentally ill, it seems to me that he may be a genius.
How many people knew that politicians did not need to submit receipts (shocking!) before his performance?
ozellis
But my personal perspective...Hardly! He is so absolutely famous now.
What's not to love. I'm thinking book, movie or at worst, mini-series.
nath
This is really getting ridiculous! Yuto Nagatomo lost it at a press conference after returning from the world cup, abruptly stood up, lost his composure and cried on someone's shoulder and that seemed a bit staged and insincere. For that matter the whole Japanese soccer team passed through the airport on arrival like they all had all just lost their mothers and not one member made eye contact with the fans who had been waiting with excitement to greet them. Almost every young Japanese male and female these days seem to burst out in tears at any competition either for winning or losing. I think this really made the airwaves back with Japanese table tennis player Ai Fukuhara when she was very young who balled her eyes out after every lost point.
Shedding tears and showing tons of emotion only seems to be a lame attempt to convince yourself that you either gave1000% or your EXTREMELY sorry for failing. What ever happened to, never let your emotions get the best of you! and NEVER let anyone see you cry! Come on people, show a little dignity and self respect when you don't win or screw up!
nath
Very unlike Japanese. When I first saw this on TV, I thought it was a citizen from another country such as Korea or China. They are known for overly emotional outbreaks, but this was a Japanese citizen to my surprise. Very comical and fake. He cheated us taxpayers out of a lot of money. He should be crying all the way to jail. Kick him out!! Maybe this is why they raised our taxes?
Ali Khan
if you were joking then you are the worst actor on the planet and if you are real then i pray for you and especially for your country. a baby can give a lot better expressions while crying. here the expressions for anger, love and jokes are quite different and some time confuse me while watching drama/movie or even in the real life.
how this man reached to this position is more alarming then what he did
Maxwell L Amberfordstinskin
Hey, careful now. Saying 'go back to Kindergarten' is an insult to my Kindergarteners, who would never do anything this baby-ish.
kaimycahl
I think this guy has a gambling problem! If heads of the hot springs say they never saw him what else can he do beside have such a problem in spending so much money! I say check the pachinko parlors thats where he spent the money on the 195 trips in four locations in one year, no receipt or a report. Thief!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Torakichi
That's it, if this is what it takes to enter local assembly politics, then I'm running next time.
Genki/Flash
This guy is forty-seven year old who got caught, I think he should be formally charged and thrown in jail. Then he'd have something to cry about!
toshiko
@timtakJUL. 03, 2014 - 07:06PM JST
How many people knew that politicians did not need to submit receipts (shocking!) before his performance?
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Don't be shocked. You can not get receipts before you spend. Politicians included. Have you received a receipt before spending in past???
Back to topic.
@Stephen KnightJUL. 03, 2014 - 06:10PM JST informed what he is
He actually only got voted in to his current seat on his fifth try--and with barely 10,000 votes (makes you wonder what kind of candidates he was up against). His campaign was controversial from the start, since he started out calling himself a member of Hyogo Isshin-no-kai, even though he had no affiliation with Hashimoto's party. So the guy wasn't exactly a model of success and opprobrium to begin with..
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
He is Mushozoku because he could not get into even Hashimoto's party. .
w8aminute
I (hee hee hee) can't (ahh ha ha) stop laughing (ohh ha ha). Somebody (uhh ha ha ha) give me (bwah ha ha) a box (gyaa ha ha) of tissues (hya ha ha ha). I can't (ahhhh ha ha) find (ha ha ha) the "x" button. (Ahhhhh ha ha ha ha haaaa.)
toshiko
He probably became a candidate to get assemblyman's paycheck, etc. In local government election, there are lazy people who declare candidacy. They try and try at every election.
mataka
Abhorrent and disgusting. What is funny about this? This is no joke! This man holds public office in Japan. How can I explain this to my children? I wanted to vomit watching the performance and my Japanese husband said he felt sickened and ashamed that politicians of such a low calibre can hold office in Japan. Nonomura must be held to account in a criminal court for cheating and must be punished for this pathetic outburst by being struck off. Japan is full of these parasitic and inept public servants. It's time people took a stand and said, "enough".
im3ngs
I hope he's not representative of the politicians that run this country. If so, O M G.
Saketown
LOL!!!!
I laughed so hard until I WAS CRYING!!
I can't wait for Sanma or Hamada &Matsumoto to get this guy on their J-Celeb TV Circuit Shows!
"Blah Ha Ha Ha Haaaaaaaa Wha Ha Ha Haaaaaaaa..."
Too Funny!!
tokyodoumo
There are no more real men in the parliament or in this country... buck up and face the music little man.
SpeaklikeGandhi
Mataka said, "my Japanese husband said he felt sickened and ashamed that politicians of such a low calibre can hold office in Japan." I agree. Absolutely. WHO selected him? Those who selected him as their Japanese representative-politician should be particularly ashamed.
Jack666
SLAP SLAP SLAP snap out of it man, you're hysterical
SLAP SLAP SLAP come on man, wake up
JoiceRojo
I don't know to laugh or get mad, this guy is unbelievable, I hate theatricals outside Stages and TV, He spent 3M Yen on those trips? how come he says those trips? he doesn't have a receipt so most likely he didn't go or went to a place as an individual, either way, He wasn't there for work.
timtak
@Toshiko
Of course one can not get a reciept before the seller receives payments. The "performance" I am refering to is the 3.5 hour theatrical performance that Nonomura put on at the press conference. If he had wanted to get away with embezzellment he would not have sat there for 3.5 hours.
But currently Nonomura has done nothing wrong, according to the prefectural assembly rule book even though he has not produced receipts, and does not even have reciepts after payments made last year.
That deserves to be repeated. Under the current "rule book" concerning politican activity costs, he has done nothing wrong, even though he did not sumbit receipts, and never had or asked for recepits. Nonomura brought the rule book with him. He showed that he had done nothing wrong. He cried off an on for three hours and a half hours, and left before saying "this is a problem for the whole assemply". The TV commentatory said that while he has done nothing illegal (i.e. it is currently okay not to submit receipts, okay not to have receipts for past spending), they are now looking into changing the rule book!
Brilliant! Great! Well done this man! For a mere 300 man (3 million yen) he has probably forced politicians in the future to submit reciepts for their spending. It will now be possible to check up on political spending, which is precisely what he promised to do.
It is precisely reform of this sort that Nonomura promised in his manefesto. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EoyUiB1bcE
But how can one achieve a clean up of politics it in an assembly full of people that may not want to vote themselves out of spending money? Nonomura may have achieved the promised reform by bringing attention to the issue, by making himself look, but not be, a fool.
And I think you need to look up "opprobrium."
HaraldBloodaxe
I wouldn't be too sure. Even if this cabal of grubby little men do wind up having to perform some cosmetic ceremony to make it look like they haven't all got their fingers in the till, what's the betting that politicians' expenses will then fall under the Secrecy Bill passed last December? I wouldn't be at all surprised if they have to submit receipts, the contents thereof will not be open to perusal by the taxpayers who pick up the tab, "for national security reasons".
Shouganai, ne?
kurisupisu
No wonder Japanese women aren't getting married if this is an example of what Japan's elitist society produces............
tinawatanabe
This is nothing wrong to Japanese eyes. When US team lost, it received all respect and praise from the posters here, but J team got only bashing here.
Simon Foston
If I tried to use even Y300 of my company's money for one trip to a hot spring I am pretty sure I would get told it was wrong. But it's okay for politicians to gratuitously waste public money because of what it says or doesn't say in a rule book? The fact is that if he was actually able to make those expenses claims and get the money back it was not just him that was doing something wrong - and if he was allowed to do it then who knows how many other politicians have got away with doing exactly the same thing.
JA_Cruise
He certainly drew attention away from his fraudulent acitvites by this spoiled kid pouting, this Oscar performance may have saved him his job.
timtak
@ HaraldBloodaxe You may be right alas. Perhaps Mr. Nonomura will think of a new way to draw attention to the secrecy. Or perhaps the public, will keep the spot light on the issue. @ Simon Same here. And come to think of it, if he were embezzling he could have said that he went anywhere to a library or metropolis but the fact that he chose to say that he went to a hot spring, seemingly the worst place to be going to, suggests again to me that this is all part of his plan to draw attention to what is going on. @ JA_Cruise His job is not in danger, till the next election at least. But, if this Oscar performance (actually, I think that hamminess helped) gets the rule book changed so that politicians have to submit receipts for expenditures, then I would like to move to Hyogo to vote him in again. Not that I can vote ;-;
toshiko
timtak: That was answer to your question. of your comment that insinuate no politicians ever submitted receipts in past.
@timtakJUL. 03, 2014 - 07:06PM JST How many people knew that politicians did not need to submit receipts (shocking!) before his performance?
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' Don't be shocked. You can not get receipts before you spend. Politicians included. Have you received a receipt before spending in past???
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at the Foreign Correspondents Club interview, he just talked while crying and his crying was not considered true. These media people know Japan very well that their observation was on the video - false crying?
ekips
Another question for thought, why did the gov't controlled media deliberately release a video like this?
lucabrasi
@ekips
Why not? This guy has nothing to do with the government.
toshiko
@VincehwrJUL. 03, 2014 - 07:04PM JST He is lucky born in the modern era all he gets is some ridicules. If he was born in the samurai, he would have been ordered to do seppuku immediately.
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No, not seppulu that was for very upper class samurais that took responsibility of Lords. Or after defeated in feuda; era wars. Please do not degrade samurais.
7sky7
Too many things happen, seen and experienced in our own daily lives, that create a feeling that this person's outburst isn't as non typical as it should be. While it is extreme, is anyone really all that surprised by his behavior? I think it's sad and comedic, but examples of childish behavior and actions based on what seems impossibly immature decisions, and often obfuscating integrity and logic with rules and narratives, has blurred right and wrong in the persona of Japanese men, to the point that its highest political officials, who should at least be somewhat representative of their country, are allowed to be bawling children who throw silly and stupid insults to their peers, and show an embarrassing botchan behavior that makes Japan a joke, it shouldn't be.
Seirei Tobimatsu
Performed to catalyze expense accounts scrutiny
wbyeats1989
@timtak I had this guy marked down as a clown, but your take on it is intriguing. I'm not convinced, but you make a good point. They will definitely tighten up the rules after this incident (though it may turn out to be a cosmetic measure), so if that was his intention all along, he is a mad genius.
If not, with the Obokata STAP paper debacle, Tokyo assembly and Diet sexist jeers, and now this, accountability and maturity would seem to be sorely lacking here.
interuni321
I suspect that this guy is a narcissistic sociopath and honestly believed this would convince people he was innocent or should be let off. It looks like partly an attempt to fake remorse, but at the same time he seems genuinely angry in a toddler tantrum kind of way that he has to explain himself.
Wolfpack
I can only think that this crook was so desperate to save himself from a very serious fraud and misuse of public money that he was willing to shame himself (and even his country) in order to make it through the news conference and the heaps of shame that he so clearly deserves.
My guess is he gets away with it and is re-elected.
JTDanMan
Wow. Not for quite a long time have I seen such a disconnect between the number of screeches and the number of tears.
What a bad actor.
Gem Ofa Person
This just shows the type of people that are being elected and the number of fools electing him is a sign of the disconnect between the people and the government. The people are all fooled by fools and what you end up having is a foolish country.
windandsea
What's next? Prime Minister?
MapleG
Clearly he has suffered a mental breakdown. Looks like the visits to the hot spring are a cover for something else. Time for some quiet rest for this fellow, then prison.
happyinmypants
Worst crocodile tears I've ever seen. My 3 year old niece can do better lol
Himajin
That's hilarious! I hadn't bothered to watch it, thinking, 'Just another crying politician/shacho etc'. My jaw dropped yesterday when this incident was featured on a morning news program, I came around the corner out of the kitchen to see what the ruckus was. He really overdid it.
Mike Critchley
How did this loser make it to public office, let alone out of kindergarten!? Incredible.