Additionally, Japanese media tend to refrain from reporting on crimes committed by foreigners in Japan. Since last year, I’ve been collecting information on crimes involving foreign nationals and documenting them on this account. Feel free to use this information if you’re interested.
【A massive case of fraudulent subsidy claims has been uncovered in Osaka】
Under Japan’s employment support system for people with disabilities, businesses receive monthly subsidies of around 140,000 to 200,000 yen per employee from the national and local governments. However, it has come to light that four affiliated facilities exploited this system by inflating claims, fraudulently receiving a total of approximately 15 billion yen in subsidies.
The misuse of taxpayer money in this way is unacceptable. More fundamentally, there are clear limits to relying on good faith in the design and operation of such systems. The government and local authorities should not simply disburse funds, but must implement stricter screening and auditing mechanisms.
This case may well be just the tip of the iceberg, and I believe it calls for a broader review of similar programs as a whole.