Bob Woodward’s top anonymous source on Watergate was nicknamed “Deep Throat.” Mr Throat’s single most quoted piece of advice to the Washington Post reporter: “Follow the money.”
Following the money is always a good approach anywhere in the world when reporting on politicians – and no less so with post-World War II Japanese politicians, whose scandal quotient has been relatively high.
Thus the immediate past prime minister, Shinzo Abe, was caught up in scandals – including charges that he misused public funds to invite cronies to an elaborate cherry-blossom viewing party last year.
With that background, it wouldn’t be total effrontery to pose to recently installed Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who previously was Abe’s chief cabinet secretary and thus deeply involved in planning and hosting such occasions, such questions as: “Sir, what were your 2019 photo ops with gangland types – at that very same blossom-viewing party – all about?”
