Free incense clouds fate of Japan’s economy minister

Bloomberg

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s point man for a massive Pacific trade pact is defending his job after giving incense sticks to voters, the latest example of how even the whiff of scandal can threaten policy-making in Japan.
Toshimitsu Motegi, the economy minister who last month shepherded the revised Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal to an 11-way agreement, is facing calls for his resignation over allegations that he breached campaign laws. The accusation: handing out incense sticks.
Motegi said that a secretary distributed the incense — an everyday item that many Japanese burn in their homes to honor deceased relatives — and denied breaking the law. “There’s nothing illegal in this matter,” he told reporters at a regular briefing.
While such gifts may seem trifling, other lawmakers have resigned after falling foul of the law in similar ways. Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera gave up his seat almost two decades ago, after it emerged that he had presented incense to constituents. Former Justice Minister Midori Matsushima stepped down from that post in 2014 after handing out paper fans.
“It’s because of corrupt practices that the rules became stricter and stricter over time,” said Koichi Nakano, a professor of political science at Sophia University in Tokyo, who said Motegi could be forced out. “Either you change the rules, or you should know them.”
Even so, losing Motegi would be unlikely to affect Japan’s policy on the TPP deal, given that he is the third minister to work on it. One of his predecessors, Akira Amari, resigned two years ago over a corruption scandal.
RESIGNATION CALLS
Motegi’s fate may ultimately depend on details. Both Onodera and Matsushima had their names printed on their handouts, while Motegi says he didn’t. The law applies even in cases where recipients would’ve been able to infer a link to a particular politician, so opposition lawmakers are keeping up the attack.
“He can’t avoid resigning,” Keiji Kokuta, of the Communist Party, said at a meeting of six opposition groups. “How is handing out incense part of a political party’s activities?” Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Party of Hope, called for Motegi’s resignation.
The fragmented opposition may gain little traction from their attacks. Their focus on a separate scandal over alleged misuse of public funds to benefit Abe’s associates has succeeded at times in damaging his support rates, without bolstering their own.
Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party scored a convincing win in the October election and he is expected to win another term as party leader in September, potentially making him the longest-serving prime minister in history.