Latest Japan judo scandal

I don't have time to explain this (which for me means understanding it before I yap on about it) but this broke into the news yesterday. I was given a couple of pages from a judo bud who is a Buddhist priest (note to self: ask priest if Japanese sports newspapers are standard fare for his ilk), one was the entire front page.

A quick glance at the papers leads me to understand that the issue is that govt support monies and such given to the Japan Sports Council Japan Sports Council homepage (which, ironically at this writing shows judo on the homepage) for the promotion of judo was distributed to various people and organizations but with a requirement to either kick back some percentage settle for a lesser amount. The kickback amount was put into what Americans would call a slush fund which was distributed among 'top players' and up to 47 officials of the All Japan Judo Federation.

The amounts aren't huge in the big scheme of things, and Uemura kancho of the Kodokan stood in front of a buttload of press and said the amount is not a problem, but in a Japan already worried about the bad news in judo, and a govt already massively in debt and looking for places to cut, this is not good news.

Here's a link to a Japanese article. I'll try to explain it later if no one else does. Yomiuri Sports - judo money

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[Judo] This time it's a slush fund scandal for the zenjuren (AJJF)! Illegal levy of parts of grant money.

Just returning from a European campaign discussing the problems that are physical abuse within judo, Uemura kancho finds himself faced with a new potential scandal; the illegal levy of grant money.

On the 13th the news broke that the top brass of the AJJF are under suspicion for illegal levy of parts of the grant money received in support from the leaders of the independent administrative unit Japan Sports Promotion Centre. According to several sources, from the roughly 1,2mill yen per year given by each leader/coach, 400.000 have been redirected into a designated bank account by the AJJF(it could also be the Sports Promotion people, the paper isn't completely clear here) leaders. Throughout the 4 years this custom at least have continued, at least one part has gone directly to food and drinks, what the remainder of this has been used for is unknown. AJJF kancho Uemura (62) replied "I don't know" on a question from the paper, indicating that he would set out on a fact-finding mission.
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Sorry, I don't have time to translate the rest until maybe Tuesday

cuivien wrote:[Judo]what the remainder of this has been used for is unknown.
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Soap ?

There's an English language article that in the mean time has been released by the Daily Yomiuri:

Daily Yomiuri Article on Judo Funds Scandal

It looks like the recipients were expected to 'contribute' 400,000 of their 1,200,000 JPY annual stipend to the entertainment / slush fund. That bank account was controlled by Yoshimura.

I would bet the Japan Tax Authority takes a dim view of that.... Undeclared windfall personal income of about $200,000 a yr could carry quite a back tax penalty, if they deem it as such. And one doubts if there are detailed records of its use.

They get a 10 for efficiency but only a 1 for common sense - this is what happens when they play games with restricted funds without considering the legal and ethical implications, and the public relations consequences if caught.

My question is, what person or faction leaked this to the press? Is someone out to get Yoshimura or Uemura?

NBK