Usually when appointed to a countries cabinet you keep a low profile and go about getting the job done. Then there are the outliers: People like Yoichi Miyazawa appointed on Monday to the post of Trade Minister for Japan after his predecessor was forced to resign over misspent political funds. Along comes this Yahoo and his support staff. While visiting Hiroshima on business members of his staff felt the sudden urge to visit a S&M club.
Yoichi Miyazawa admitted staff had claimed expenses after visiting a sadomasochistic bar in Hiroshima, but emphasised he did not visit the bar.
His admission comes at a difficult time for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Two cabinet ministers quit on Monday. Mr Miyazawa replaced Yuko Obuchi, who resigned over a funding scandal.
Members of Miyazawa-kai, described as a political support group that manages the minister's funds, spent 18,230 yen ($170, £106) at the club in September 2010.
The spending was listed as "entertainment expenses" in the group's political fund report for that year.
"It is true such expenses were made," Mr Miyazawa told reporters. "But I myself did not go there at all. That's true as well."
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