Kumamoto Governor embroiled in flower scandal

Governor Kimura was accused of dealing pot…s of flowers.

These days it feels like politicians all over the world are getting away with murder and acting like they’re above the law. Take Governor Takashi Kimura of Kumamoto for example. This guy thinks he can just put flowers anywhere and not be held accountable!

Governor Kimura stands accused of giving gifts of large orchid arrangements to acquaintances and facilities such as hospitals and welfare offices. These orchids were originally given to him in celebration of his election victory last March.

▼ Large flower arrangements are common gifts in Japan to celebrate new endeavors such as starting a business like the anko specialty store pictured below. You can see some orchids just in front of the store and elsewhere here.

While the governor can receive such flowers as a gift, the Public Offices Election Act strictly prohibits politicians from giving gifts of any sort to their constituents. Doing so would be considered an illegal donation.

In a classic bit of political back-pedaling, Governor Kimura claims that he didn’t “give” the orchids to these people but was just “putting” them there for safekeeping.

With the election over, Governor Kimura had to close up his campaign headquarters but while cleaning it out felt bad about throwing away perfectly good flowers. His home was too small for them so he and his wife put them in various places until they could find a permanent place. When pressed by reporters, Governor Kimura said he had a rough idea of putting them in the governor’s residence but there was no timeframe for collecting them back.

Also, one of the hospitals that received the orchids put them on display with a sign that read “Received from Governor Kimura.” The exact Japanese used on the sign had the word “itadaita” which is a polite term akin to “humbly received” that shows a great deal of appreciation for being given something. At the risk of presuming how the hospital feels, it’s fair to say most people aren’t “humbly appreciative” to simply hold onto a plant for someone for a little bit.

So, it would seem that this is just one more example of a politician trying to curry favor with secondhand flowers and using slippery…

Oh, just a moment. My doorbell just rang and it looks like a delivery person with a bunch of flowers outside…

▼ While I’m gone, see if you can spot the 10 differences in each picture of this Saizeriya kids’ menu.

Right, as I was saying, I am sick and tired of politicians like Governor Kimura being unfairly crucified for his efforts to reduce waste and share the beauty of our nation’s flora. As an uninfluenced member of the free press, I’m calling on everyone to leave this man alone and let him do his job!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some watering to do.

Source: NHK News Web
Featured image: Pakutaso
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