The scandal of the Fukuoka Prefecture branch of the ruling Japanese Liberal Democratic Party forcing members to “pay tribute” for large sums of money continues to fester. According to Japanese media reports on 30, following the resignation of Fukuoka Prefecture Speaker Takeo Kurauchi, another involved official, Matsumoto Kansho, chairman of the Fukuoka Prefecture branch union of the Liberal Democratic Party, is considering resigning.
Former Fukuoka County Speaker Yoshimatsu Genmaaki exposed the LDP scandal to the media in July. He said that before taking office as County Speaker in June 2020, the Fukuoka County Members‘ Group of the LDP, to which he belonged, demanded money from him under various names, including golf fees for party social activities, accommodation fees, transportation fees, and high-end restaurant meals and beverages, totaling about 20 million yen (about RMB 850,000). Several other people who served as the county Speaker and Deputy Speaker revealed that they also “contributed” millions of yen to the Members‘ Group before taking office.
This is the headquarters building of the Liberal Democratic Party shot in Tokyo, Japan, on December 25, 2025. Photograph: Jia Haocheng, Xinhua News Agency
The scandal has attracted widespread criticism from the Japanese public. Faced with public pressure, Kurouchi Yuo, who has been identified as one of the recipients of “contribution” funds, announced his resignation from the position of Fukuoka County Speaker and Member of Parliament. Liberal Democratic Party officials from Fukuoka County, such as Matsumoto Kukuhara, were requested to come to the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo on the 28th for questioning on the matter. According to Japanese media, in the context of the continuing influence of the “black gold” scandal, the Liberal Democratic Party is concerned that this scandal may affect the local elections next spring, and has requested Matsumoto Kukuhara and others to take response measures as soon as possible.
However, Matsumoto Kansho himself was also pointed out as the recipient of the aforementioned funds, and parties such as the Fukuoka City Council were clamoring for his resignation. According to several Japanese media reports, Matsumoto Kansho is considering resigning.
At the end of 2023, the LDP‘s “black gold” scandal was exposed. Some factions demanded that their members sell party tickets for political fundraising according to “indicators” and return the excess in the form of “reimbursements” to the members. The relevant funds were not registered in the political fundraising balance sheet and became unregulated secret funds.