Everything You Need to Know About the School Scandal Haunting Abe

Forget secret meetings with foreign powers, illegal wiretapping or hotel break-ins, the scandal that dogs Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe involves an elementary school. The questions troubling the public: Did the operators of the school get government land on the cheap because of their connections to Abe’s wife? And was there a cover-up? Already, the furor has accounted for the head of Japan’s tax agency and now there are calls for one of Abe’s key ministers to resign. It all adds up to a growing mess that foments doubt over Abe’s ability to push through far-ranging economic reforms -- and become the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history.

The Asahi newspaper broke the news early in 2017 that Moritomo Gakuen -- an educational foundation known for its nationalist leanings -- had bought government land in Osaka for a fraction of the price of comparable plots. Abe’s wife, Akie Abe, had been in line to become its honorary principal until the scandal gathered steam. The head of Moritomo, Yasunori Kagoike, told lawmakers in March 2017 that he received a donation of 1 million yen ($9,400) in cash from Abe via his wife Akie. Abe and his government denied this, but their statements failed to allay public disquiet. The prime minister told parliament in February last year that he’d resign if any link emerges between himself or his wife and the land deal. Kagoike and his wife were arrested for fraud in July last year. The foundation has filed for bankruptcy.