Reiwa 7 (Wa) 35 Bribery Case

In April 2025, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office Special Investigation Unit arrested Tanaka Hiroshi, president of Taiyo Construction, for allegedly providing ¥12 million in cash to Sato Kenji, then a senior official at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The bribes were delivered at a Tokyo restaurant in installments during 2024–2025 to secure confidential bid information for a highway expansion project in Saitama Prefecture. The case, docketed as Reiwa 7 (Wa) 35, emerged from a wider probe into public works bidding. Sato was indicted separately for accepting bribes. The prosecution argued the payments were a quid pro quo, while Tanaka's defense claimed the money was a personal loan unrelated to his official duties.

On March 10, 2026, the Tokyo District Court found Tanaka Hiroshi guilty of aggravated bribery under the Penal Code and the Anti-Monopoly Law, sentencing him to two years and six months in prison, suspended for four years. The company was fined ¥80 million. Sato Kenji was sentenced to three years in prison for accepting bribes and breach of trust. Both have appealed.

Whether the ¥12 million transfers constituted bribery with a clear intent to influence official action, or were legitimate personal loans; whether the bid information received was confidential and provided preferential treatment; and the admissibility of recorded conversations obtained during the investigation.

The case intensified public distrust in Japan's construction bidding system, prompting the MLIT to establish an independent bid oversight committee. It sparked renewed political debate over stricter anti-corruption laws and corporate compliance reforms. Media coverage highlighted systemic vulnerabilities in infrastructure procurement, leading to revised guidelines that mandate transparent disclosure of contact between officials and contractors.