Japan’s new trade minister has been forced to defend himself after it emerged that staff from his support group spent office money at a sex club.<\/p>\n
Yoichi Miyazawa admitted staff had claimed expenses after visiting a sadomasochistic bar in Hiroshima, but emphasised he did not visit the bar.<\/p>\n
His admission comes at a difficult time for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.<\/p>\n
Two cabinet ministers quit on Monday. Mr Miyazawa replaced Yuko Obuchi, who resigned over a funding scandal.<\/p>\n
Members of Miyazawa-kai, described as a political support group that manages the minister’s funds, spent 18,230 yen ($170, \u00a3106) at the club in September 2010.<\/p>\n
The spending was listed as “entertainment expenses” in the group’s political fund report for that year.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
He plans to correct the report as a person in his office had “erroneously booked the money”.<\/p>\n
The bar stages performances where women dressed only in underwear are tied up with ropes and whipped, reported Japanese media<\/p>\n
BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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