Local News

An investigation by the Nishinippon Shimbun revealed that the post of chairmen of the credit guarantee associations in all seven Kyushu prefectures have been dominated by former government officials almost continuously for periods ranging from 28 to 53 years, depending on the prefecture. The practice of providing plum jobs in agencies such as these to former government officials or bureaucrats is known as amakudari, and is under attack by the public and the media today. The longest period of this dominance in Kyushu is in Saga Prefecture, for 53 years, followed by Fukuoka Prefecture, for 46 years.