Unexpected “Good Fortune” Gets Tough Public Scrutiny

Close Up Japan | 思わぬ「幸運」に、厳しい国民の目

Unexpected “Good Fortune” Gets Tough Public Scrutiny

Most Japanese people who pick up a wallet will deliver it to the nearest police box. This high level of morale is known throughout the world. In May of this year, an incident that seemed to put a damper on the situation occurred in Abu-cho town in Yamaguchi Prefecture and caused quite a commotion. The benefit of about 100,000 yen per household was provided throughout the country to low-income families suffering from the corona disaster. However, in Abu-cho town, due to a mistake by the town government office, 46.3 million yen, which was for all households, was transferred to one young man’s account. There has been a municipality in the past that erroneously remitted double the amount of benefits to everyone; fortunately, the erroneously remitted amount was returned from all the recipients and nothing serious occurred. Almost anyone had thought that a refund would be forthcoming this time as well, nonetheless the young man said that he had no money left. The police pursued the money, solely, as a case of fraud. As a result of the investigation, it was determined that a large portion of the money went to three companies that dealed to convert the money into foreign currency for online casinos. The incident was widely reported in the media every day, and the public demanded a thorough investigation into the flow of money. Perhaps in response to the increased public interest, about 90% of the money was subsequently returned from the dealers and the young man was arrested. The investigation drew public interest concerning how the money was spent. On the other hand, points were raised as to why the public had not been directed to the same interest towards the ways in which government and local governments spend taxpayers’ money. (From August issue, 2022 / 2022年8月号より)

多くおお
ooku no
most
日本人にほんじん
nihonnjinn ha
Japanese people
財布さいふ
saifu wo
a wallet
拾うひろと、
hirou to,
who pick up
近くちか
chikaku no
the nearest
交番こうばん
koubann
police box
ni
to
届けますとど
todoke masu.
will deliver it
その
sono
this
モラル
moraru
morale
no
of
高さたか
takasa ha
high level
世界的せかいてきにも
sekai’teki nimo
throughout the world
知られています。
shirarete i masu.
is known
今年ことし
kotoshi
of this year
5月がつ
go gatsu,
in May
それ
sore
the situation
ni
on
みず差す
mizu wo sasu
to put a damper
ような
you na
that seemed
事件じけん
jikenn ga
an incident
山口県やまぐちけん
yamaguchi kenn
Yamaguchi Prefecture
no
in
阿武町あぶちょう
abu chou
Abu-cho town
de
in
起こり
okori,
occurred and
大騒ぎおおさわとなりました。
oosawagi to nari mashita.
caused quite a commotion
コロナ
korona’ka
the corona disaster
de
from
苦しむくる
kurushimu
suffering
低所得ていしょとく世帯せたい
tei’shotoku’setai
low-income families
対象たいしょうに、
wo taishou ni,
to
1世帯せたい
ichi setai
per household
10万まんえん
juu mann enn
a hundred thousand yen
程度ていど
teido
about
no
of
給付きゅうふ
kyuufu ga
the benefit
全国ぜんこく各地かくち
zennkoku’kakuchi de
throughout the country
行わおこなれています。
okonawarete i masu.
was provided
しかし、
shikashi,
however
阿武町あぶちょう
abuchou
Abu-cho town
では
deha
in
役場やくば
yakuba
the town government office
no
by
ミス
misu
a mistake
で、
de,
due to
全世帯ぜんせたいぶんとなる
zenn’setai’bunn to naru
which was for all households
4,630万まんえん
yonnsenn roppyaku sannjuu mann enn ga
forty-six pont three million yen
1人ひとり
hitori no
one
青年せいねん
seinenn no
young man’s
口座こうざ
kouza
account
ni
to
振り込まふこれてしまいました。
furikomarete shimai mashita.
was transferred
過去かこ
kako
the past
にも、
nimo,
in
給付額きゅうふがく
kyuufu’gaku
benefits
no
of
倍額ばいがく
baigaku wo
double the amount
全員ぜんいん
zenninn
everyone
ni
to
誤送金ごそうきんした
go’soukinn shita
that erroneously remitted
自治体じちたい
jichi’tai ha
a municipality
ありましたが、
ari mashita ga,
there has been
幸いさいわ
saiwai
fortunately
受領者じゅりょうしゃ全員ぜんいん
juryousha zenninn
all the recipients
から
kara
from
返金へんきんされ、
hennkinn sare,
(the erroneously remitted amount ) was returned and
大事にだいじ至りいたませんでした。
daiji ni itari masenn deshita.
nothing serious occurred
今回こんかい
konnkai
this time
mo
as well
返金へんきんされるだろう
hennkinn sareru darou
a refund would be forthcoming
to
that
だれもが
daremo ga
almost anyone
思っおもていました
omotte i mashita
had thought
が、
ga,
nonetheless
青年せいねん
seinenn ha
the young man
お金かね残っのこていない
okane ha nokotte inai
he had no money left
to
that
言いました。
ii mashita.
said
警察けいさつは、
keisatsu ha,
the police
詐欺さぎ事件じけん
sagi’jikenn
a case of fraud
として
to shite
as
お金かね流れなが
okane no nagare wo
the [flow of] money
厳しくきび
kibishiku
solely
追及ついきゅうしました。
tsuikyuu shi mashita.
pursued
その結果けっか
sono kekka,
as a result (of the investigation)
その大部分だいぶぶんが、
sono dai’bubunn ga,
a large portion of the money
オンラインカジノ
onnrainn’kajino
online casinos
をするために
wo suru tame ni
for
外貨がいか
gaika
foreign currency
ni
into
換える
kaeru
that dealed to convert (the money)
3つの業者ぎょうしゃ
mittsu no gyousha
three companies
ni
to
渡っわた
watatta
went
ことが
koto ga
that
判明はんめいしました。
hannmei shi mashita.
it was determined
事件じけん
jikenn ha
the incident
連日れんじつ
rennjitsu,
every day
メディア
medhia
the media
de
in
大きくおお
ookiku
widely
報道ほうどうされ、
houdou sare,
was reported and
国民こくみん
kokuminn ha
the public
お金かね
okane
money
no
of
流れなが
nagare
the flow
no
into
徹底てってい究明きゅうめい
tettei kyuumei wo
a thorough investigation
求めましもとた。
motome mashita.
demanded
国民こくみん
kokuminn no
public
関心かんしん
kannshinn ga
the interest
高まったかたこと
takamatta koto
increased
wo
to
受けて
ukete
in response
か、
ka,
perhaps
その
sono go
subsequently
交換こうかん業者ぎょうしゃ
koukann’gyousha
the dealers
から
kara
from
やく
yaku
about
9わり
kyuu wari ga
ninety percent (of the money)
返還へんかんされ、
hennkann sare,
was returned and
青年せいねん
seinenn ha
the young man
逮捕たいほされました。
taiho sare mashita.
was arrested
この
kono
the
捜査そうさでは、
sousa deha,
investigation
お金かね使い道つかみち
okane no tsukai’michi
how the money was spent
ni
concerning
国民こくみん
kokuminn no
public
関心かんしん
kannshinn ga
interest
集まりあつました。
atsumari mashita.
drew
一方いっぽうで、
ippou de,
on the other hand
なぜ
naze
why
いままで
ima made
[till now]
国民こくみんは、
kokuminn ha,
the public
政府せいふ
seifu
government
ya
and
自治体じちたい
jichitai ga
local governments
使うつか税金ぜいきん
tsukau zeikinn
(the ways in which) [they] spend taxpayers’ money
ni
toward
同様どうよう
douyou no
the same
関心かんしん
kannshinn wo
interest
向けて
mukete
directed to
こなかったのか
konakatta no ka
had not been
という
to iu
as to
指摘してき
shiteki mo
points
ありました。
ari mashita.
were raised

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