Key Facts
• July 2025: Six individuals, including the CEO of ‘Morinaga,’ arrested for election law violations.
• Allegation: Promised cash rewards to employees in exchange for votes for a Liberal Democratic Party candidate.
• Suspects: CEO Chang-Beom Lee and five others from ‘Morinaga’ and ‘Delpara’ pachinko chains.
• Target: Securing votes for proportional representation candidate Yasuhisa Abe in the Upper House election.
• Evidence: 60 employees allegedly promised $20–$27 as ‘overtime pay’ for voting.
• Scale: Over 250 employees across both chains reportedly offered similar incentives.
• Outcome: Abe received 90,000 votes but failed to win a seat.
• Police: Investigating Abe’s awareness of the alleged vote-buying scheme.
• Historical Context: Largest election-related arrest case in Japan since 1989.
• Employee Testimony: A whistleblower reported being instructed to vote for Abe by company management.
Summary
In July 2025, six individuals, including Chang-Beom Lee, CEO of the pachinko chains ‘Morinaga’ and ‘Delpara,’ were arrested for allegedly violating Japan’s election laws. They are accused of promising cash rewards to employees in exchange for votes for Liberal Democratic Party candidate Yasuhisa Abe during the Upper House election. While Abe received 90,000 votes, he did not secure a seat. Authorities believe over 250 employees were offered incentives, making this the largest election-related arrest case in Japan since 1989. Police are also investigating Abe’s potential involvement or awareness of the scheme.
