Japan's Prime Minister and President of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Sanae Takaichi, publicly apologized for accepting a corporate political donation that exceeded the maximum legal limit, as reported by the Nikkei newspaper. During a meeting of the House of Representatives Budget Committee, Takaichi expressed her 'deep regret' as the representative of the party branch involved in violating the Political Funds Control Law. The incident came to light after Professor Hiroshi Kamiwaki of Kobe Gakuin University filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office on December 4. Internal and external critics point out that Takaichi's 'ambiguous' stance on this serious issue suggests a limited will to push for fundamental reforms within the party. The excess amount was not recorded as official income and then returned to lawmakers as 'illegal commissions', thus creating unofficial funds. Problems with illicit financing have directly affected the prime minister's inner circle. The scandal involves party factions that allegedly instructed lawmakers to sell tickets for fundraising events beyond their assigned quotas. According to the accusation, the LDP's local branch in Nara Prefecture, represented by Takaichi, received a 10 million yen (approximately $64,400) donation from a Tokyo-based company on August 26 of last year. This figure exceeds the legal limit of 7.5 million yen allowed for that specific type of donor under Japanese law. This case adds to the growing illicit funds scandal that has rocked the LDP since 2023. Of the high-ranking officials appointed by Takaichi after taking office in October, seven have been linked to the LDP funds scandal.
