Backlash in Japan over Fukuoka officials’ costly overseas ‘research trips’

Backlash in Japan over Fukuoka officials’ costly overseas ‘research trips’The Fukuoka prefectural government admitted it spent more than US$2 million on the excursions, triggering public anger4-MIN READ4-MIN1ListenPublished: 10:00am, 18 Jul 2026Officials in Japan’s southwestern prefecture of Fukuoka are facing growing scrutiny over a series of overseas “research trips” that included stays in Paris and London and millions of yen in hotel upgrades, as public frustration builds over political spending during a period of rising household costs.The controversies have put pressure on Governor Seitaro Hattori and the local chapter of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Fukuoka, one of Japan’s most important regional governments and the economic centre of the country’s southwest.Hattori expressed “regret” at a press conference on Tuesday, saying that “established practice” had not been followed in the planning of 23 overseas trips since 2021.Select VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x