The Crazy Japan Times--Pithy Epigraph Goes Here--Correction | Horses No Bull | ResignedIn the section describing the KSD scandal I gave you an incorrect name. The man arrested after he resigned was named Murakami, not Koyama. Also, I neglected to mention that early in the scandal, a cabinet minister named Nukaga was also forced to resign. The third minister to have to do so during Mori's administration. Murakami, by the way, is one of the men who put Mori in power during the notorious 24 hours after the late PM Obuchi went into the hospital. 
UPDATES:The very day the last CJT, was delivered, the Japanese press anounced that Matsuo, the man dipping into the secret fund, had in fact bought 30 races horses. After the investigation began, all of the horses were sold off in an attempt to cover his, er, assets.It also appears that one way Matsuo stole the money was by claiming expenses for dozens of Prime
Minister staff members for each leg of a long trip, even if they only
travelled on the first leg. (i.e. He claimed hotels, meals, etc. in their
name.) Because the fund was secret, there was no way of checking it. Prime Minister Mori appears to have resigned to every person he knows except the voting public. His current plan is to remain Prime Minister until the LDP holds its next presidential election. (This is the election that's been moved up.) Unfortunately for the LDP and it's coalition, he may be in power for the next upper house election in June or July. Also, rank and file members of the LDP have been calling for reform in the party presidential voting system. Right now, the vote of one LDP Member of Parliament counts as 10,000 regular votes. Since the MP's generally vote unanimously--they decide everything in the back room before going public--it means that the rank and file must garner over 3 million votes to override them. The senior MP's almost laughed at this suggestion but it's clear that the R and F are not pleased. That's all I know for now. Yours, DL
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