Gov. Yoichi Masuzoe and his entourage spent 213 million yen ($2 million) on eight trips in his first two years in office, an investigation by opposition
lawmakers found. He also is being criticized for using an official car and a
driver to travel regularly to his vacation house at a hot springs resort outside
Tokyo. At a news conference Friday, Masuzoe said he will stop using the city car
for his hot springs visits and promised to seek ways to cut back on spending.
Masuzoe argues that the upscale travel is needed to make the governor of Japan's largest city look prestigious overseas. He has promised to review and
disclose his finances after his office received thousands of angry calls and
emails.
Some examples of his spending:
___
$1,800 SUITES IN LONDON, PARIS
His priciest hotel room was a 198,000 yen ($1 Justin Evans Color Rush Jersey ,820) per night suite at the Conrad London St. James during a 2015 trip to London and Paris to observe World Cup rugby. (Japan
is hosting the 2019 World Cup.) That's nearly five times the maximum allowed for
the prime minister and Tokyo governor for travel expenses under the law for
civil servants, although he is allowed to spend more if authorized by the city's
human resources department, which he did. Before three nights at the Conrad, he
stayed two at the almost equally expensive Paris Le Grand. Masuzoe also spent
2.7 million yen ($24,400) flying first class.
___
BIG ENTOURAGE
The investigation by the opposition Communist Party found that Masuzoe spent an average of 27 million yen ($244,000) on his first eight trips, more than
former Gov. Shintaro Ishihara O. J. Howard Color Rush Jersey , himself known as somewhat spendthrift. Ishihara averaged 17 million yen on 28 overseas visits during his 11-year tenure. The
large size of Masuzoe's delegations — nearly twice that of Ishihara's — is the
main reason for the higher costs. The total cost of the London and Paris trip
alone, which included 19 staff, came to more than 50 million yen ($463,000).
___
FIVE-STAR HOTEL IN WASHINGTON
Masuzoe has acknowledged that he stayed at the Intercontinental The Willard Washington D.C. at a rate of 150,000 yen ($1,390) per night on his ninth trip,
which was not part of the Communist Party investigation. He also stayed at the
Kitano New York Carlton Davis Color Rush Jersey , a favorite of Japanese Imperial families and celebrities, and spent more than 2 million yen to fly first class to New York,
where he rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange, and Washington,
where he attended cherry blossom events.
___
AIRPORT VIP ROOM
In a rare luxury for a Japanese governor, Masuzoe started renting VIP rooms at airports while waiting for flights. During a 2014 trip to Berlin and London,
he spent 1.27 million yen ($11 M.J. Stewart Color Rush Jersey ,700) on airport VIP rooms. The trip with a 20-member delegation to the 2012 Olympic venue in London and ""friendship"" city
Berlin was by far the costliest at 70 million yen ($642,000) for five nights.
Tokyo is hosting the 2020 Summer Olympics.
___
LONDON MAYOR
Former London Mayor Boris Johnson and his staff spent 38,000 pounds ($55,100) on a four-day visit to Japan in October, according to the London mayor's office,
about one-tenth of Masozue's five-day mission to London and Paris last year. The
costs for Johnson's trip were posted on the London mayor's office website
following a public information request by an independent Tokyo lawmaker. Johnson
flew business class for 3,842 pounds ($5 Ronald Jones II Color Rush Jersey ,570), and used British Airways ""On Business Points"" on his return. His accommodation, with a complimentary upgrade to a
suite, totaled 689 pounds ($999) for four nights, less than the one-night room
charge for Masuzoe.
"
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