Japanese politicians caught sleeping at work, researching hostess bar

Politicians in the Kanagawa assembly were recently filmed by the media sleeping on the job.

Over several days, FNN’s cameras spotted multiple lawmakers having a nap during sessions of the assembly, instead of doing the job the public elects (and pays) them to do.

Plus ça change. We could fill this blog with examples of politicos sleeping on the job.

But the cameras also spotted one lawmaker doing something a bit more cheeky.

Yusuke Terasaki of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan was observed using his computer to look up non-work-related matters. In fact, he was planning his night out at a Ginza hostess bar.

FNN’s intrepid crew later filmed him actually going to the bar after the work meeting was over.

They even confronted him about the matter. Very conveniently, Terasaki claimed to have no memory of what he had done. “I don’t remember why I searched it.”

FNN did this report in response to a similar one three years ago, which resulted in Kanagawa’s politicians pledging they would stop shirking their duties. Perhaps they also have no memory of that promise.

Kanagawa assemblymembers earn ¥16 million a year, which is about three times the average salary in Japan — and presumably more than enough to pay for many trips to Ginza hostesses. (Let’s not forget former prime minister Sosuke Uno, whose relationship with a geisha brought an fast end to his premiership after just 68 days in 1989.)

Still, Terasaki’s after-work activities are at least more innocent than those of the Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker who was spotted last year doing compensated dating with an 18-year-old after work.