Spotlight: Abe gov't implicated in dodgy land deal with nationalist school operator

Where there is smoke, there is fire.

Revelations that the head of the operator of a controversial school in Osaka met with a lawmaker from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to secure state-owned land at a heavily reduced price have intensified beliefs in the shady links between the tendentious school and Abe's administration.

At a heated parliamentary session on Thursday, Abe said he had no intention of launching an official probe into the land deal.

Opposition parties, however, are vociferously calling for a fully-fledged investigation into the potential scandal.

Head of the Japanese Communist Party secretariat, Akira Koike, revealed in the Diet on Wednesday that he has obtained records that unequivocally prove that Moritomo Gakuen President Yasunori Kagoike had contacted veteran LDP lawmaker Yoshitada Konoike in 2014 to seek a favorable discount on purchasing state-owned land.

In June 2016, Kagoike acquired the 8,770-square-meter plot in Toyonaka, Osaka by paying 134 million yen (1.18 million U.S. dollars), which was equivalent to 14 percent of its appraisal price.

The land is being used to build an elementary school, with funds for the school allegedly raised using Abe's name.

The school is to be named after the prime minister and Abe's wife will serve as its honorary principal.

Abe said his wife Akie had stepped down as the school's would-be honorary principle, but analysts believe there is absolutely no doubting that strong ties had existed between Abe and his wife and Kagoike and his institutions.

"As such, it's more than reasonable to assume that there is no coincidence in the fact that Abe and the school have well-established ties and that Yoshitada Konoike was approached by Kagoike with a monetary incentive to curry favor from either the Finance Ministry or the Land Ministry to help him buy the land at a colossal discount," a political analyst, affiliated with a prominent international university in Tokyo, told Xinhua.

"Abe wants this whole issue quashed as quickly as possible, but the scandal seems to be escalating quickly and this is bad news for the prime minister and the ruling party." the analyst said.

"Backroom dealings are par for the course in Japanese politics, particularly when it comes to cash for favors. It's nothing new, yet still reprehensible. I doubt Abe will fall on his sword, but public opinion has certainly been soured as there's no smoke without fire, which doesn't bode well for Abe who is eyeing a snap election and national referendum to amend the constitution," he added.

While Abe has refused to launch a probe into the controversial land deal, his government spokesperson said Thursday that he "hoped the Board of Audit will conduct a full investigation."

Before the dodgy land deal, Abe had been implicated in another scandal involving Tsukamoto kindergarten in Osaka, which is operated by Moritomo Gakuen, with Kagoike as its principle.

At the kindergarten, three-to-five-year-olds begin their days by singing Japan's national anthem in front of the national flag and reciting the Imperial Rescript on Education.

The rescript, which demands devotion to the emperor and sacrifice for Japan, was abolished after World War II but reintroduced 15 years ago by Tsukamoto kindergarten.

A video footage from a sports event at the school shows the children raising their right hands and shouting twice: "Go fight, Prime Minister Abe." Endit