Japan Press Weekly

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2008 October 15 - 21 [SCANDAL]

DPJ lawmakers have helped multi-level marketing industry

Akahata revealed that the Democratic Party of Japan lawmakers formed a parliamentary group in support of the multi-level marketing industry and received monetary donations from multi-level marketers and their political action group.

The group is named the “Parliamentary Group to Develop Healthy Network Business”.

DPJ member of the House of Representatives Maeda Yukichi frequently used his question time at meetings of the House of Representatives Budget Committee in the interest of the multi-level marketing industry.

According to the Network Business Political Union (NPU) website, a political organization of the multi-level marketing industry, Fujii Hirohisa, a DPJ senior advisor and member of the House of Representatives, was president of the parliamentary group, Maeda was secretary general, and another member of the House of Representatives, Maki Yoshio, was deputy secretary general.

The political fund report submitted by the NPU showed that by purchasing party tickets, the NPU made political donations to members of this parliamentary group, including Maeda and DPJ member of the House of Representatives Yamaoka Kenji, who was the president of the group between 2004 and 2007.

In May, Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Councilors Daimon Mikishi at a meeting of the Upper House Budget Committee raised the question of this DPJ parliamentary group and Maeda’s repeated questions in favor of the industry.

Daimon at the time pointed out that while European countries strictly regulate the multi-level marketing business, the U.S. and Japanese governments do not control the business.

Each year since 2002, the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan has received more than 20,000 complaints and inquiries about multi-level marketing businesses.

Citing that Maeda used his allotted question time to urge the government to collect the consumer affairs center’s pamphlets promoting consumer awareness, Daimon criticized the government by stating, “Maeda put pressure on the consumer affairs center. The government must avoid making light of consumer protection efforts as a result of some lawmakers’ pressure.”