On February 17, Yokohama District Court issued a suspended sentence to Hajime Higuchi, a former environmental director of Odawara City, who was charged with bribery in relation to sewer construction projects. The presiding judge, Hiroki Sugano, emphasized that the integrity of civil service duties and public trust had been compromised and sentenced Higuchi to one year in prison, suspended for three years, along with a restitution of 200,000 yen. This ruling reflects a critical stance on the need for accountability among public officials.

The court found that Higuchi had accepted gift vouchers worth 100,000 yen from the former president and sales director of a construction company during a meeting in his office at city hall, in exchange for expediting sewer installation near a new housing project. Further incidents included receiving an additional 100,000 yen in vouchers for facilitating the relocation of a waste collection site near land purchased by the relatives of the former president. Judge Sugano recognized that Higuchi was aware of the bribery nature of his actions despite arguing that the amounts were not overly substantial, placing serious consideration on civil service ethics.

In passing the suspended sentence, the court acknowledged Higuchi's admission of guilt, regret for his actions, and his intention to resign from public office. This decision reflects a broader concern regarding corruption among public officials in Japan, as it seeks to balance accountability with the acknowledgment of personal remorse and the potential for rehabilitation within the public sector.