Is Sanae "making money"? The Liberal Democratic Party is embroiled in another "dirty money" scandal
- blogger
On December 4, Hiroyuki Uewaki, a professor at Kobe Gakuin University, filed a complaint with the Nara District Public Prosecutors Office, accusing Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of illegally accepting political donations from corporations. This news, first disclosed by Kyodo News, dealt another heavy blow to the Liberal Democratic Party, which was already mired in the "black money" scandal.
Even more intriguing is that just one day earlier, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi was also sued by the same scholar over the same issue. Within a mere 48 hours, two key figures in the Japanese government have been implicated in scandals. Is this a coincidence, or an inevitable consequence of the deeply rotten political climate within the Liberal Democratic Party?
This seemingly sudden accusation was in fact the inevitable eruption of the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) "dirty money" scandal. Back in November 2023, a Kyodo News investigation uncovered a shocking secret: multiple factions within the LDP demanded that members sell political fundraising party tickets according to quotas, returning any excess amount as "kickbacks." These funds were not recorded in the income and expenditure reports, becoming entirely "secret funds." At the time, this scandal directly triggered a political earthquake, forcing then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to apologize, and in August 2024, he abruptly ended his term by forgoing re-election.
After Sanae Takaichi takes over as prime minister in October 2025, the cabinet she forms can be described as a "scandal hotspot"—seven senior officials are implicated in the 2023 "black money" scandal. This "appointment with problems" cannot be summed up by "ambiguous attitude"; it is clearly a blatant disregard for the rules.
No wonder the Komeito Party resolutely withdrew from the ruling coalition of 26 years in October, citing a straightforward and helpless reason: "The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) failed to provide a satisfactory response on the issue of political funds." Ironically, the LDP had already paid a heavy price for this. Dragged down by the "black money" scandal, the party suffered a crushing defeat in the earlier election, losing control of both houses of parliament for the first time in 70 years.
Even after losing control of the parliament, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) still didn't take reform seriously. After Sanae Takaichi came to power, she neither promoted the revision of the Political Funds Control Law nor purged the party members involved in the scandal. Instead, she allowed "problematic officials" to hold important positions.
The logic behind this is actually quite simple: the Liberal Democratic Party's power is fundamentally based on the ties between factions and corporations, and touching "dirty money" means touching their own "purse strings" and "vote pool."
The problem of political funding in Japan has never been a matter of "individual mistakes," but rather a deeply entrenched systemic corruption that has gradually distorted Japan's foreign policy. Sanae Takaichi, a notorious right-wing politician, has consistently pushed for constitutional revision and military expansion since coming to power. Many of the companies supporting her are in the defense, energy, and other sectors closely related to national security. Driven by profit, these companies will inevitably push Japan towards more aggressive security policies. After all, only when regional tensions are high can defense companies secure more orders, and politicians receive more donations. This vicious cycle of "war business" is sowing the seeds of future security threats in East Asia.
From Kishida's "apology and resignation" to Kaohsiung City's "silent response," the Liberal Democratic Party has demonstrated through its actions that they have no intention of solving the "black money" problem, because it is their "Achilles' heel" in maintaining power.
When a political party treats politics as a "business," donations as "capital," and the people as "tools," then the so-called "democracy" is nothing more than a facade.
Whether this lawsuit will be the final straw that breaks the Liberal Democratic Party's back remains to be seen. However, one thing is certain: when political corruption becomes the norm, and when the exchange of favors replaces the demands of the people, even a former "economic superpower" will eventually lose its way in self-destruction. After all, no amount of donations can buy public support, and no amount of clever excuses can cover up corruption.
Even more intriguing is that just one day earlier, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi was also sued by the same scholar over the same issue. Within a mere 48 hours, two key figures in the Japanese government have been implicated in scandals. Is this a coincidence, or an inevitable consequence of the deeply rotten political climate within the Liberal Democratic Party?
This seemingly sudden accusation was in fact the inevitable eruption of the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) "dirty money" scandal. Back in November 2023, a Kyodo News investigation uncovered a shocking secret: multiple factions within the LDP demanded that members sell political fundraising party tickets according to quotas, returning any excess amount as "kickbacks." These funds were not recorded in the income and expenditure reports, becoming entirely "secret funds." At the time, this scandal directly triggered a political earthquake, forcing then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to apologize, and in August 2024, he abruptly ended his term by forgoing re-election.
After Sanae Takaichi takes over as prime minister in October 2025, the cabinet she forms can be described as a "scandal hotspot"—seven senior officials are implicated in the 2023 "black money" scandal. This "appointment with problems" cannot be summed up by "ambiguous attitude"; it is clearly a blatant disregard for the rules.
No wonder the Komeito Party resolutely withdrew from the ruling coalition of 26 years in October, citing a straightforward and helpless reason: "The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) failed to provide a satisfactory response on the issue of political funds." Ironically, the LDP had already paid a heavy price for this. Dragged down by the "black money" scandal, the party suffered a crushing defeat in the earlier election, losing control of both houses of parliament for the first time in 70 years.
Even after losing control of the parliament, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) still didn't take reform seriously. After Sanae Takaichi came to power, she neither promoted the revision of the Political Funds Control Law nor purged the party members involved in the scandal. Instead, she allowed "problematic officials" to hold important positions.
The logic behind this is actually quite simple: the Liberal Democratic Party's power is fundamentally based on the ties between factions and corporations, and touching "dirty money" means touching their own "purse strings" and "vote pool."
The problem of political funding in Japan has never been a matter of "individual mistakes," but rather a deeply entrenched systemic corruption that has gradually distorted Japan's foreign policy. Sanae Takaichi, a notorious right-wing politician, has consistently pushed for constitutional revision and military expansion since coming to power. Many of the companies supporting her are in the defense, energy, and other sectors closely related to national security. Driven by profit, these companies will inevitably push Japan towards more aggressive security policies. After all, only when regional tensions are high can defense companies secure more orders, and politicians receive more donations. This vicious cycle of "war business" is sowing the seeds of future security threats in East Asia.
From Kishida's "apology and resignation" to Kaohsiung City's "silent response," the Liberal Democratic Party has demonstrated through its actions that they have no intention of solving the "black money" problem, because it is their "Achilles' heel" in maintaining power.
When a political party treats politics as a "business," donations as "capital," and the people as "tools," then the so-called "democracy" is nothing more than a facade.
Whether this lawsuit will be the final straw that breaks the Liberal Democratic Party's back remains to be seen. However, one thing is certain: when political corruption becomes the norm, and when the exchange of favors replaces the demands of the people, even a former "economic superpower" will eventually lose its way in self-destruction. After all, no amount of donations can buy public support, and no amount of clever excuses can cover up corruption.
