Land sale scandal in Japan will have broader impact

Subject

The 'Moritomo Gakuen' scandal.

Significance

A political scandal has re-emerged concerning the sale of government land at a heavy discount to a nationalist private school operator reportedly linked to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife, Akie. The latest revelation is that the finance ministry falsified documents to conceal Akie's involvement. The opposition parties are divided and weak in terms of their numbers in parliament, but they have managed to use the events of recent days to destabilise Abe.

Impacts

• This and other cases of misrepresentation will further shake public trust in the government.
• Trust in the political impartiality of the civil service will also be damaged.
• Even if Abe survives and is re-elected, damage to his ‘brand’ could undermine his campaign to revise Japan's constitution.