By Mariko Tsuji | Reporter
Thank you once again for your continuous contribution to our project.
In July, we disclosed the amount of corporate donations to the Japanese ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP), for the past 46 years. There are 248 corporations that have donated a total of more than 100 million yen over the past 46 years.
Such corporate donations to political parties have been a breeding ground for corruption in Japan.
In 1974, for example, the LDP was in danger of being replaced by the opposition. Then-Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka developed a "corporate-wide election" and had groups of large corporations contribute to funds and the campaign.
There was a Japanese phrase describing this election, which meant that spending 800 million yen for this election would ensure victory, while spending 700 million yen would result in loss. Public opinion criticized this money politics, and Prime Minister Tanaka resigned. After that, another Prime Ministers announced a ban against corporate donations. However, the ban has yet to be accomplished.
What does it mean that corporations support the LDP through donations?
It is “the politics leaning to corporations” that does not listen to the people's opinions and make policies from which corporations can benefit. It is considered that the defense industry, for example, which influences each country, has been dramatically affected by these effects.
In fact, the Japanese Business Federation (JBF), which Japanese major corporations organize, has adopted a policy that they are aggressively involved in politics through corporate donations.
In 2003, Hiroshi Okuda, chairperson of Toyota Motor Corporation, started a system of evaluating the policies after becoming the JBF chairperson. The JBF published manifestos and judged if the politics implemented policies just as they were by using the five-grade from A to E evaluation.
In 2024, misconduct over politicians and money has become a matter again in Japan. For instance, the LDP politicians processed donations as slush funds.
Although the Political Funds Control Act was amended, corporate donations were not the object of it.
Tansa will continue to report how corporate contributions have influenced policy decisions.
By Mio Takata | Tansa Intern
By Makoto Watanabe | Editor-in-Chief
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