Kishida grilled in Diet over son's excursion during overseas trip

Nepotism at its best!

Nepotism is the most brazen of cons.

No, there are many that are worse. Sadly, there are plenty of examples around the world. I'm not saying it isn't bad, just hardly the worst.

Time is right to Kiss Kissida Goodbye get a new party who thinks in current times not the showa era

Corrupt filth!

ShotarI looks cute - at least below the mask - in other coverage of this “scandal”

""As we have heard various opinions, officials must pay attention to their behavior with a sense of tension."

What a loser.

Shotaro-kun should have hit up ex corrupt governor of Tokyo Matsuzoe for shopping tips in Europe.

Remember the pajama scandal guys?

If it was just to buy souvenirs, I do not see well where the problem is to use the official car. Do you think officials at such a level are gonna rent a car and drive ? Of course, it could have been a private hire, but still the government would have paid

I despise Kishida

You absolutely cannot separate these numerous and repeated scandals by these people from the history of the party. The LDP was formed in 1955 as a merger between two right-wing conservative parties, as a united front against Japan Socialist Party (日本社会党, Nipponshakaitō), now the Social Democratic Party (社会民主党, Shakaiminshutō).

From the 1950s through the 1990s, the United States' Central Intelligence Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigation spent millions of dollars attempting to influence elections in Japan to favor the LDP against more leftist parties such as the Socialists and the Communists, although this was not revealed until the mid-1990s when it was exposed by The New York Times.

@Michael Machida

They all steal your money. All of them.

Yes you are absolutely correct.

And they are entrenched in power due to US support.

The whole thing smells 'Fishy' !

The disgusting stench of nepotism, inherited wealth, hubris and corruption...but we shouldn't be surprised - after all, this is the CIA founded and funded LDP we are talking about.

Kishida, meanwhile, refused to elaborate on the issue further, simply saying, "As we have heard various opinions, officials must pay attention to their behavior with a sense of tension."

"The laws for the LDP are more like guidelines that can be bent according to the amount of attention drawn ."

The public has been experiencing a high sense of tension trying to survive under Kishida's "New Capitalism".

Nice that Kishida is offering that LDP officials feel a sense of tension while passing out souvenirs from their tax-payer paid travels to foreign sightseeing spots.

This should not happen, but honestly, why spend time during the national Diet on such a matter.

Compared to other scandals, this one is minor. Some sense of scale if needed, even by the opposition.

Make Kishida ride the Shinkansen to Hiroshima instead of using a plan or helicopter, and the case will be reimbursed...

Nepotism is the most brazen of cons.

Did they make sure that Kishida or Kishi Jr. paid for the unnecessary expenses afterwards? Usually if someone gets caught spending a few yen on the company dime without notice, they either get the boot or they have the payment deducted from their salary.

Buying souvenirs is an official duty?

Yes! Everyone doing business in Japan knows this. It is more about the trinket being at least as nice as what the other person gifted last time.

poor low paid Fumio could not afford to give okozukai to own son for his trip...btw is this same Fumio who thinking raise VAT,buy new eapons and increase some salaries by some 3%?same clown?

just wanted to be sure.

I'm probably in the minority, but when a close relative of the sitting PM for Japan is overseas, especially performing official duties, he needs protection. That protection would include using a vehicle that has always been under the J-Govt control, is maintained by them and has a J-govt driver - assuming the driver has training in anti-attack driving and carries a gun to protect the person under his charge.

The fact that his son is on his staff at all is a problem, but not that he was being protected, with official govt manpower.

If people are upset over the vehicle being used, how do they feel about J-AF-1 (B773ER) being used to flying them around?

Not surprised at all! It's Japan, after all...

There's a simple way to fix this but Japanese people think voting is mendoksai and only having one choice for govt is shoganai...until that changes, the LDP cronyism will continue unabated!

I’ll bet you Kishida Jr didn’t get into Keio the way most of its students do. These top unis (and not only in Japan) accept offspring of bigwigs without much vetting.

Same goes for his being hired at a major trading company.

As for his touted ability to listen, anyone with ears can do that.

How low can he go? I'll bet lower still.

Critics say hereditary politics continues to be prevalent in Japan

Yet Japanese people keep voting them despite the nepotism,corruptions,scandals and their never ending requests of “gaman” to the population rising taxes and keeping wages unchanged in over 20 years.

Sorry but I have no sympathy at all,the people here are getting what they voted for years.

The 'omiyage' excuse for shopping and sightseeing at tax-payers' expense?

Grooming junior to one day be PM just like the Kishi/Abe clan.

Kishida has been trying to provide an opportunity for Shotaro to eventually become his successor by exposing him to different scenes of the political arena, a source close to the premier said.

Shopping in high end establishments is certainly an opportunity to lead to Shotaro becoming a high end politician.

All Shotaro needs to do now is to memorise the menu of a Kobe beef restaurant and he’ll be set!

that his son, Shotaro, who is also his secretary, 

I'm certain a rigorous recruitment process involving many suitably qualified candidates took place prior to his appointment . . . . . .

They all steal your money. All of them.

Critics say hereditary politics continues to be prevalent in Japan, and it shows few signs of abating, as many young people are less interested in becoming lawmakers due largely to a series of scandals surrounding politicians.

Great reason to keep up the shenanigans then if it keeps politics in the family. A perfect feedback cycle.

his son, Shotaro, who is also his secretary, went on a private sightseeing trip paid for by taxpayers while on official overseas business in January.

Sounds like his secretary needs a secretary

The weekly Shukan Shincho reported last week that his son visited major tourist spots and went shopping in Paris, London and Ottawa, using an official vehicle owned by the Foreign Ministry, while his father met with his counterparts and conducted other duties.

Typical LDP corruption. Nothing new.

and this guy is forcing ta hikes without disclosing a budget or what the new revenue will be used on...

Exactly!

Of course the "others" he and Kishida senior are listening to are other LDP gerontocrats and their offspring, never the suffering public.

They don't give 2 farts and a martini about the rest of the country. They treat it like its their personal piggy bank.

He bought gifts for everyone in Kishida's inner circle (on our dime) so that makes everything ok. Corrupt as always.

SOP for those SOBs

What an utter disconnect and total disregard these silver spoons have for the population they are supposed to be working for.

While the prime minister’s son is out galavanting at the public’s expense hundreds of thousands of Japanese school kids are skipping meals due to their parents not being able to put enough food on the table because of the LDP’s policies.

Exactly. And then you have the right wing TROLLS coming here and saying that we are anti Japanese because we genuinely care about how the state of affairs in this country are being run. Comedy gold.

Even within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, headed by Kishida, skepticism was rife about the appointment by the leader, who has touted his own "ability to listen" to the opinions of others in decision-making.

Pray tell has any recent Japanese PM shown any "ability to listen to the opinions of others?" Oh wait, they "listen", but it always goes through one ear and out the other. Kishida is just doing what his predecessors did, his only problem is that he had to open his mouth and say something he cant follow through on!

Critics say hereditary politics continues to be prevalent in Japan, and it shows few signs of abating, as many young people are less interested in becoming lawmakers due largely to a series of scandals surrounding politicians.

Can anyone actually blame the "young people" here for not being interested in becoming a lawmaker? Who has done anything for them? Who has made any effort to include them in the process? Who has made becoming a politician a career to strive or dream for?

What an utter disconnect and total disregard these silver spoons have for the population they are supposed to be working for.

While the prime minister’s son is out galavanting at the public’s expense hundreds of thousands of Japanese school kids are skipping meals due to their parents not being able to put enough food on the table because of the LDP’s policies.

He bought gifts for everyone in Kishida's inner circle (on our dime) so that makes everything ok. Corrupt as always.

Fumi-Kim where’s my Omiyage (souvenir)? I paid for it out of my tax, you know? I’m also paying your son’s salary. Don’t forget me.

Even within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, headed by Kishida, skepticism was rife about the appointment by the leader, who has touted his own "ability to listen" to the opinions of others in decision-making.

Of course the "others" he and Kishida senior are listening to are other LDP gerontocrats and their offspring, never the suffering public.

and this guy is forcing ta hikes without disclosing a budget or what the new revenue will be used on... Come on dude I get grilled at work for using 1000 yen without telling them how I will use it.