Yoshihiko Noda: political donations to be checked

The office of Japan's new Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda says it will investigate alleged political donations from foreign nationals. Some media reported that Noda received donations of about 4,000 dollars from 2 South Korean residents in Japan between 1998 and 2003.

On Saturday, Noda's office released a comment, saying Noda and his office were not aware of the reported donations. It said it will look into the matter with the help of experts. The office added that it will report on whether there were any problems with political funds, including the case in question.

Receiving political donations from a foreign resident is prohibited by Japan's political funds control law.

Former foreign minister Seiji Maehara resigned in March after admitting he had received funds from a foreign national.:Japan’s new prime minister, Yoshihiko Noda,  on Friday to keep Japan on its path of phasing out nuclear power, saying it was “unrealistic” to build any new reactors in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear crisis or to extend those at the end of their life spans.
First speech to the nation as prime minister, Mr. Noda, Japan’s former finance minister and a fiscal conservative,  said Japan would seek to rebuild its tattered finances even as it pays for reconstruction after the country’s devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident in March.
“Speeding up the recovery and reconstruction process is our biggest mission. We must also work to bring the nuclear crisis to an end as swiftly as possible,” Mr. Noda said. “But our finances are also on the brink. We must strike a balance between economic growth and fiscal discipline.”Media-agencies