Vote-buying scandal has taken center stage after authorities arrested six executives tied to a pachinko business. Law enforcement agencies suspect that these individuals paid voters to influence the July 20 Upper House election. Specifically, police detained six company executives, including the 50-year-old president who holds South Korean citizenship. In addition, the 46-year-old head of marketing and the 44-year-old management chief were also arrested. These individuals allegedly planned to pay about 60 people, including pachinko parlor staff, in exchange for voting for a specific candidate.
According to investigators, the group offered each person between ¥3,000 and ¥4,000 to cast ballots for the Liberal Democratic Party’s proportional representation candidate. Reportedly, they made these offers in early to mid-July, just ahead of the national election. As a result, authorities conducted coordinated raids and searched the company’s offices along with other related sites. They now suspect this activity violated Japan’s political funds control law. Notably, this law strictly bans offering money in exchange for campaign cooperation or votes.
Moreover, this vote-buying scandal echoes past political misconduct cases. For instance, earlier this year, a former Upper House member received a suspended prison term after falsely claiming a non-working secretary. Consequently, these repeated violations have intensified public calls for stricter enforcement and urgent political reform.
As the investigation moves forward, authorities may expand their searches and begin interviewing additional witnesses. Furthermore, they plan to examine business records and communications that could uncover a broader network of misconduct or coordination. Meanwhile, the public watches the case closely, raising serious concerns about the integrity of Japan’s electoral process.
Ultimately, the ongoing vote-buying scandal underscores significant gaps in election oversight and the urgent need for accountability. Experts continue to argue that political institutions must reinforce internal audits and transparency measures. Otherwise, without systemic improvements, voters’ trust in democratic institutions may further erode.
