In a recent bribery scandal surrounding the House of Representatives election in Japan, candidates from the Democratic Party for the People, who were unsuccessful in the election held on October 8, have been arrested on suspicion of violating the Public Offices Election Act. Investigative sources have revealed that the suspects directed campaign workers to keep quiet about the cash payments received for their participation in election activities, indicating that they recognized the illegality of the practice. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department believes that the suspects aimed to evade detection due to their awareness of the legal implications of paying campaign workers.

Three women, including Shinko Irie, a former Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly member, were arrested after being implicated in a conspiracy to pay a total of 270,000 yen to five university students for activities such as distributing flyers. Investigations suggest that at least 450,000 yen was distributed among more than ten campaign workers, primarily consisting of university students who served as interns at a social media management company. According to Japanese election law, campaign workers are generally supposed to be unpaid, further complicating the matter of these illegal payments.

Suspect Kyoka Sugawara reportedly contacted the campaign workers on behalf of Irie and advised them to keep their compensation a secret, stating that they were to receive a daily wage of 10,000 yen for their work. The investigation is now considering charges against the campaign workers for potential violations of the law regarding bribery as well, signaling a broader implication for campaign practices in Japan and a crackdown on illegal activities surrounding electoral processes, with significant ethical and legal ramifications for involved parties.