This past week it has been "Scandal City" in Japan. It all began a month ago when it was discovered that the Japanese Prime Minister, his wife, the Minister of Defense and more were all involved with a strange, nationalistic school in Osaka.
The school called Moritomo Gakuen has restored the prewar "Japanese Talliban", "Kokutai" system where all citizens were forced to worship the Emperor as God in their curriculum.
The school forces all students to daily recite the hated Imperial Rescript on Education that formed the basis for the system that drove Japan to war.
It would be an isolated problem of the revival of a terrible, totalitarian system if it were not for the fact that the Prime Minister and his wife donated to the school, the Prime Minister's wife was honorary principal and the Defense Minister was one of their lawyers in a previous life's with her lawyer husband.
What really upset the public was the terrible scandal of the school receiving a piece of property valued at over 10 million dollars for a little over a million dollars and that amount taken down to almost nothing with various fees taken out for disposal of waste on the property.
Further, the school was found to have falsified documents presented to the local government resulting in further taxpayer funds being abused.
What really topped it all was the strange silence of an otherwise aggressive media.
It turns out that almost every media organization has received the same kind of special "Government Land" at cut rate prices.
The Dentsu advertising agency, Nihon Television, Kyodo News all have headquarters on the previous Japan Railways Shiodome lot which they got for a song.
The Sankei Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun and Nikkei Shimbun Newspapers amazingly all sit on land that previously was owned by the Finance Ministry.
NHK, the National Broadcaster sits on land that was once the Washington Heights US Military Housing area and on and on.
The reason for the lack of aggressive reporting on the scandal has its roots in the simple fact that nearly all the media has done the same thing and is equally corrupt.
Reminding one of the classic "he who is without sin cast the first stone", a compromised media has gone silent on what should be enough to bring down the teflon Prime Ministership of Shinzo Abe.
As hearings begin in the National Diet, the nation is watching to see if the Prime Minister, his wife, the Defense Minister and all the others involved will be able to keep their jobs.
Japan needs the rule of law, a strong and responsible civil society and not the revival of a corrupt, prewar "Japanese Taliban".
Takashi Uesugi is the host of daily "Oped" program on Japan's only daily, TV Interview network, Noborder TV and is known as the "George Stephanapolis" of Japan
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The alluring charm of Ibaraki can be an elusive creature. Akin to an ethereal breeze catching you unaware, it sweeps you into a serene adventure colored by a history laden past. Nestled in the northeastern area of the Kanto region, Ibaraki was considered a utopia in the early 8th century. A reputation garnered by fruitful harvests and lavish gifts from the ocean and surrounding mountains. Its ex … read more
