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       TOKYO -- A study by the Mainichi Shimbun has revealed problematic behavior by lawmakers in Japan since July during Diet discussions on measures against the coronavirus and other issues, such as checking materials with no connection to deliberations.

       A list of names classified by faction that upper house member Dai Shimamura of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party brought into a House of Councillors Committee on Health, Labor and Welfare meeting in seen on Sept. 16, 2021. Shimamura is seen pointing at a name of an upper house member in the Takeshita faction while talking passionately with Shuko Sonoda, who sits next to him. (Mainichi/Hiroyuki Oba)

       Problematic behavior by five ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) members and three from the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) was confirmed. Although the Mainichi reported on the fact that reading entertainment novels and messing around with smartphones was rampant during the Diet last year, inappropriate actions by lawmakers have not changed.

       After the ordinary Diet session closed in June, a total of 14 meetings of the Cabinet Committee as well as the House of Representatives and House of Councillors Committee on Health, Labor and Welfare were held from July to September. The meetings were apparently held because discussions on coronavirus countermeasures and the Tokyo Olympics were necessary during closure of the Diet.

       Lower house member Mamoru Shigemoto of the Liberal Democratic Party is seen looking at a Microsoft PowerPoint file on a laptop in preparation for the lower house election at a House of Representatives Committee on Health, Labor and Welfare meeting on Aug. 4, 2021. (Mainichi/Hiroyuki Oba)

       Issues such as the increasing number of deaths among COVID-19 patients recuperating at home were being discussed at the Sept. 16 House of Councillors Committee on Health, Labor and Welfare meeting. Upper house members Dai Shimamura and Shuko Sonoda of the LDP were talking while looking at the list of names of party members classified by faction. The name of Sanae Takaichi, who ran in the LDP's presidential election, was written next to that of a member on the list, and it seems the two were predicting the election results.

       Additionally, Shimamura repeatedly took out a smartphone to look at a chat group consisting of upper house members close to then Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on the free messaging app LINE, as well as to check on other lawmakers' past records.

       These were all actions taken when the opposition parties were calling for an extraordinary Diet session and asking questions regarding whether it was an appropriate time for the LDP to be devoting itself to a power struggle and avoiding holding a Diet session.

       Lower house member Tsunehiko Yoshida of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan is seen browsing a food website for ramen using a smartphone at the House of Representatives Cabinet Committee meeting on July 14, 2021. He intermittently fiddled around with the smartphone for over 90 minutes. (Mainichi/Hiroyuki Oba)

       At the July 28 House of Representatives Cabinet Committee meeting, LDP member Takeru Yoshikawa frequently took out a smartphone and browsed websites including one for sneakers. He was also checking a mail-order site on a tablet he brought with him to an Aug. 18 House of Representatives Cabinet Committee meeting. Yoshikawa was at the time in a position responsible for bills and policies as a Parliamentary Vice-Minister of the Cabinet Office.

       Yoshikawa was also browsing a bicycle shopping site on a smartphone during discussions at a House of Representatives Cabinet Committee on Economy, Trade and Industry meeting in May 2020, and reading a book of "the best preludes" by rakugo storyteller Sanyutei Enraku V. In response to being called out by the Mainichi, Yoshikawa at the time said, "I seriously reflect on what I did."

       At a July 7 House of Representatives Committee on Health, Labor and Welfare meeting, lower house member Miki Yamada of the LDP worked on what seemed to be a plan for the upcoming lower house election for over 20 minutes using a laptop at a member's seat. She typed in phrases such as "toward the establishment of a campaign headquarters," "securing a campaign office," "parking lot cost" and "cheap flyer printing" on a Microsoft Word file.

       This altered image shows lower house member Miki Yamada of the Liberal Democratic Party working on what seems to be a plan for the upcoming lower house election using a laptop at a House of Representatives Committee on Health, Labor and Welfare meeting on July 7, 2021. She was seen typing and pondering on the matter for over 20 minutes. (Mainichi/Hiroyuki Oba)

       Lower house member Mamoru Shigemoto of the LDP also worked on preparations for the election at a House of Representatives Committee on Health, Labor and Welfare meeting on Aug. 4. He displayed Microsoft PowerPoint files on a laptop and carefully checked information including the target number of votes, ways to capture independent voters and the election campaign's basic strategy. At that time, it was expected that the LDP would struggle in the election due to the sudden drop in the Cabinet's approval rating.

       Among CDP members, lower house member Tsunehiko Yoshida used a smartphone to browse websites including online shopping sites for bags and food sites for ramen at a July 14 House of Representatives Cabinet Committee meeting. He fiddled around with his smartphone intermittently from around 10:25 a.m. to shortly after noon when deliberations ended. At the meeting, opposition lawmakers had been questioning the government's request that financial institutions encourage eateries receiving loans not to provide alcohol as part of coronavirus countermeasures.

       At a July 28 House of Representatives Cabinet Committee meeting, lower house member Masato Imai of the CDP repeatedly looked at a smartphone to check on the score of a baseball game in which Shohei Otani of the Major League Los Angeles Angels played. Imai is in charge of coordinating the deliberation process with the ruling parties as the head director of the opposition parties in the Cabinet committee, and sits in the front row facing Cabinet ministers.

       Lower house member Masato Imai of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan is seen looking at a smartphone to check on the score of a baseball game in which Shohei Ohtani of the Major League Los Angeles Angels played, at a House of Representatives Cabinet Committee meeting on July 28, 2021. (Mainichi/Hiroyuki Oba)

       In the same Cabinet committee meeting, lower house member Hiroyuki Moriyama of the CDP was focused on reading an astrology-related book roughly translating to "Star reading 200 years ahead STAR INNOVATION." The book introduces ideas that are ahead of the times, and displayed the words: "People in the top 1% have 'the essence of the next era' on their side!" He continued to read the book for nearly 20 minutes.

       Diet rules prohibit the act of reading books and other media unrelated to proceedings, and all of the above actions may constitute a violation. Many other Diet members were also looking at smartphones and reading books, but the Mainichi specifically focused on acts such as looking at materials clearly unrelated to discussions for a certain period of time.

       The Mainichi told the eight lawmakers about their potentially problematic behavior in writing and through other methods, and asked for their opinions.

       An astrology-related book roughly translating to "Star reading 200 years ahead STAR INNOVATION," which lower house member Hiroyuki Moriyama of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan read during a House of Representatives Cabinet Committee meeting is seen on July 28, 2021. The words: "People in the top 1% have 'the essence of the next era' on their side!" is seen on the book. (Mainichi/Hiroyuki Oba)

       Of the CDP members, Yoshida wrote back, "I will sincerely reflect on the careless use of smartphones, and I will further control my behavior while proceeding with my activities." Moriyama also replied in an email, saying, "I apologize for the inappropriate act of reading books. I will discipline myself to not take such actions in the future." Imai explained in an interview over the phone, "During committee meetings, I sometimes browse the internet to look at websites on the bills. I don't remember looking at the score of Ohtani's game, but like you said maybe I was. If so, I'm sorry for the inappropriate behavior. I'll be careful to not do such a thing in the future."

       Meanwhile, of the LDP members, the office of Yamada, who seemed to have been planning for the lower house election, replied to the Mainichi in writing. According to the office, "the typing of texts during the deliberation was necessary as the role of a Diet member is to provide information such as introducing discussions and measures in national affairs to local voters," and "it's not the same with cases unrelated to proceedings, and can't be considered an act that violates the rules."

       Liberal Democratic Party Member Takeru Yoshikawa is seen using a smartphone to browse a website introducing sneakers at a House of Representatives Cabinet Committee meeting on July 28, 2021. (Mainichi/Hiroyuki Oba)

       The four other LDP members, Yoshikawa, Shigemoto, Shimamura and Sonoda, did not respond by the Mainichi's deadline.

       (Japanese original by Hiroyuki Oba, Tokyo City News Department)

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