Hyogo Governor Motohiko Saito, 46, is in a tight spot following the suicide of a former official who prepared a document accusing him of behaving in a way that distorts the administration and the misconduct of the senior officals who parasitically surround him.
The committee had asked prefectural officials whether they knew about seven items in the complaint, including “abuse of power” and “‘accepting gifts,” and received over 4,500 responses by the August 5th deadline. The results of the questionnaire are now available on the council’s website as an interim report.
Whether the answers in the report are true, the governor’s conduct, as revealed by the staff who actually know him or have heard about him from people who know him, is just unbelievable.
For example, these are the answers about his abuse of power:
- Instructions to announce during concerts and theatrics to inform other spectators that he was coming.
- He shouted at a prefectural official in front of the elevator he missed, “‘You can’t even press the elevator button?!”
- Interference with driving routes, e.g. “‘Why are you taking this route?!” and screaming “‘How are you going to make it in time?!”
Other complaints of insolence include: being offended when his face and name were not included on things promoting a key policy, forcing staff to redo the production of the things, hitting desks, and throwing stationary at staff when reprimanding them.
Furthermore, the governor’s past solicitation of favors, widely reported due to his receipt of a gift at a company’s coffee machine within the prefecture, was also discussed in detail. In a survey section titled “Governor’s Receipt of Gifts,” staff members expressed numerous concerns and criticisms.
- He should have received a helmet, sunglasses, clothing, etc. (costing more than 50 or 60,000 Yen)
- He doesn’t share the souvenirs and keeps them to himself.
- Birthday cakes are presented every year and are not shared at office, instead taken home.
- He didn’t hesitate to take away all the snacks that had been prepared during the event rehaersal.
- Three souvenirs had been prepared for three people on a business trip, but he took them all home.
- On a visit to a Banshu weaving production site, he tried on a necktie and went straight home.
In addition, the answers reveal Saito’s tremendous appetite for material goods. Crabs, oysters, seaweed, toasters, road bikes and furniture… It’s enough to make us think that the gifts alone might be enough to cover his food, clothing and shelter.
When asked by the press about the results of the questionnaire, Governor Saito strongly defended his actions, stating that there were no issues in either case. He claimed that the alleged abuse of power was “within the scope of business necessity” and that the so-called gifts were “received on behalf of the prefecture, although there were instances where I was personally permitted to consume some items.”
The Governor has been summoned to the special commission on August 30. Will there be a resolution to the truth about the death of a former employee and the allegations of abuse of power?
