1
 Yet another political scandal is racking Japan.
2
antithesis

2
 But this time it's hurting opposition as well as ruling-party members.
5001
span

3
 And
5003
Same-Unit

4
 as it unfolds,
5
circumstance

5
 it's revealing some of the more tangled and seamier aspects of Japanese society.
5002
span

6
 Already, ruling Liberal Democratic Party demands 
5005
span

7
that opposition members testify under oath in parliament 
6
elaboration-object-attribute-e

8
have stalled one budget committee session 
5007
List

9
and forced the committee to plan a special two-day investigation at the end of the month.
5007
List

10
 But the scandal itself is so convoluted 
5008
span

11
that ruling-party members are divided between those 
5009
span

12
who want to pursue the matter in hope 
5010
span

13
of undermining the opposition 
12
elaboration-object-attribute-e

14
and those 
5012
span

15
who favor leaving well enough alone. 
14
elaboration-object-attribute-e

16
 The opposition can be the most hurt 
5013
span

17
because everyone already figures 
5014
span

18
the LDP is that kind of beast, 
17
elaboration-additional-e

19
says Shigezo Hayasaka, former aide to LDP kingmaker Kakuei Tanaka and now an independent analyst.
5013
attribution

20
 But, 
5016
span

21
he adds, 
20
attribution

22
We can't tell 
5017
Same-Unit

23
where it will go at all
5018
span

24
 because we're still in the middle of it.
5019
Reason

25
 This time, the scandal centers on donations 
5024
span

26
made by the not-quite-mainstream pachinko parlor industry. 
25
elaboration-object-attribute-e

27
Pachinko, a kind of pinball, is Japan's favorite form of legal gambling.
5024
background

28
 The donations so far appear to be small,
5026
Comparison

29
 especially compared with the huge sums
5027
span

30
 that changed hands in the Recruit Co. influence-peddling scandal 
5028
span

31
that plagued the ruling party last year.
30
elaboration-object-attribute-e

32
 But the implications could be great.
5031
Contrast

33
 Pachinko is slightly on the shady side, 
5032
span

34
often linked to the lower ranks of Japan's underworld 
5033
List

35
and regularly at the top of annual lists of tax evaders. 
5033
List

36
Recently the industry has faced the threat of new restrictions, 
5034
List

37
and political donations may have been made with the intent
5035
span

38
 to bribe.
37
purpose

39
 Also, about 60% of pachinko parlor owners are Korean, many 
5038
span

40
of whom maintain close ties with North or South Korean residents' organizations,
39
elaboration-set-member-e

41
 and donations by such foreign groups are illegal in Japan. 
5038
elaboration-additional

42
 To many Japanese, pachinko is benign or enticingly unsavory.
5040
span

43
 Garish neon pachinko marquees blaze from the main streets and narrow alleys of cities and towns across the country.
42
explanation-argumentative

44
 Devotees pass hours,
5041
span

45
 watching the lights blink 
5042
List

46
and listening to the metal balls ping,
5042
List

47
 as much to gamble 
5048
Proportion

48
as to get a little time 
5130
span

49
to be anonymous, alone with their thoughts.
48
purpose

50
 At 500 yen 
5049
span

51
($3.60)
50
restatement-e

52
 for a handful of balls, pachinko is a common pastime, 
5050
Same-Unit

53
and has been 
5051
Inverted-Sequence

54
since it took root as cheap entertainment in the years after World War II.
5051
temporal-before

55
 But the total of all those pinging balls has created an industry with a reported annual income of 13 trillion yen 
56
restatement-e

56
(almost $92 billion), 
5053
span

57
or nearly the size of Japan's vaunted automobile industry. 
5054
Comparison

58
And 
5056
Same-Unit

59
because the pachinko industry is regularly at the top of annual lists for tax evasion,
60
result-e

60
 some observers estimate 
5055
span

61
the real income could be as much as 20 trillion yen.
5057
span

62
 If that money were being taxed,
63
condition

63
 it could bring the government a badly needed several trillion yen. 
5060
span

64
In 1984, an attempt was made 
5062
span

65
to crack down on the industry with tougher restrictions.
64
elaboration-object-attribute-e

66
 Then, in 1988, a proposal 
5063
span

67
to keep better track of income 
5064
span

68
by selling prepaid cards for pachinko 
67
means

69
was fielded in parliament.
5065
Same-Unit

70
 The proposal split the industry in two, along the lines of national origin: 
5066
span

71
North Koreans oppose the plan 
5067
Contrast

72
while South Koreans, Japanese and Taiwanese accept it
5068
Otherwise

73
 or are neutral.
5068
Otherwise

74
 In August, a conservative weekly magazine reported 
75
attribution

75
that a pachinko industry organization donated money to Japan Socialist Party members. 
5072
span

76
The magazine alleged 
77
attribution

77
that
5073
span

78
 in making the donations, 
5076
manner

79
the pachinko industry may have been offering bribes 
5076
span

80
to win support in the battle against prepaid cards, 
5077
Otherwise

81
or it may have been laundering money back and forth between the JSP and the North Korean residents' organization, the Chosen Soren.
5077
Otherwise

82
 The Chosen Soren and the JSP immediately denied the report.
5080
List

83
 And at first, neither the opposition nor the LDP wanted to pursue the issue.
5080
List

84
 But the press kept it alive; 
5081
Contrast

85
as with the Recruit scandal, lists began circulating with names of people 
5082
span

86
who had received money.
85
elaboration-object-attribute-e

87
 Within a matter of weeks, less-conservative magazines reported 
88
attribution

88
that members of the ruling LDP had received much larger donations from pachinko organizations.
5084
span

89
 So far, though, there have been no allegations 
5085
span

90
that the contributions 
5086
span

91
the LDP members received 
90
elaboration-object-attribute-e

92
amounted to bribes.
5087
Same-Unit

93
 Then the two camps upped the ante: 
5093
span

94
Reports 
5090
span

95
that Chosen Soren had donated directly to JSP members 
94
elaboration-object-attribute-e

96
were rapidly countered by statements 
5092
span

97
that the South Korean residents' organization had long been donating directly to LDP members.
96
elaboration-object-attribute-e

98
 The JSP admitted Oct. 13 
5096
attribution

99
that its members received about eight million yen from the pachinko organization,
5096
List

100
 and charged LDP members with receiving 125 million yen 
5097
span

101
($880,000)
100
restatement-e

102
 and other opposition parties with taking about 2.5 million yen.
5096
List

103
 On Friday, the chief cabinet secretary announced 
5099
attribution

104
that eight cabinet ministers had received five million yen from the industry, 
5099
span

105
including 450,000 yen 
5100
span

106
($3,175) 
105
restatement-e

107
by Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu.
5101
Same-Unit

108
 No one has alleged 
109
attribution-n

109
that the donations were by themselves illegal.
5104
span

110
 Direct donations from either of the residents' organizations would be illegal
5105
span

111
 because the groups are defined as foreign,
5106
span

112
 but both groups deny making direct donations. 
111
antithesis

113
They say 
114
attribution

114
its possible some of their members may be donating privately.
5108
span

115
 The issue is further complicated
5109
Reason

116
 because 
5110
span

117
although the organizations represent Korean residents, 
116
concession

118
those residents were largely born and raised in Japan 
5112
List

119
and many speak only Japanese.
5112
List

120
 That they retain Korean citizenship and ties is a reflection of history 
5115
span

121
-- their parents were shipped in as laborers during the decades 
5116
Temporal-Same-Time

122
when Japan occupied Korea before World War II -- 
5116
Temporal-Same-Time

123
and the discrimination 
5118
span

124
that still faces Koreans in Japanese society.
123
elaboration-object-attribute-e

125
 Many Japanese think it only natural 
5119
span

126
that the organizations or their members would donate to politicians, the way 
5120
span

127
many Japanese do, 
5121
span

128
to win favor or support.
127
purpose

129
 Both residents' organizations admit to receiving some funding from abroad.
5124
span

130
 But LDP members and supporters of the prepaid card idea tend to speak in innuendo about the JSP's alleged donations, 
5125
span

131
implying 
5127
attribution

132
that North Korean money would be more suspect than South Korean 
5127
span

133
because North Korea is communist 
5128
List

134
and South Korea is an ally. 
5128
List

5001
span
5004
span

5002
span
5003
Same-Unit

5003
multinuc
5001
elaboration-additional

5004
span
5020
span

5005
span
5006
Same-Unit

5006
multinuc
5021
span

5007
multinuc
5006
Same-Unit

5008
span
5022
span

5009
span
5011
Same-Unit

5010
span
11
elaboration-object-attribute-e

5011
multinuc
10
elaboration-additional-e

5012
span
5011
Same-Unit

5013
span
5015
span

5014
span
16
reason

5015
span
5023
span

5016
span
5017
Same-Unit

5017
multinuc
23
attribution

5018
span
5019
Reason

5019
multinuc
5015
elaboration-additional

5020
span



5021
span
5029
span

5022
span
5006
elaboration-additional

5023
span
5008
elaboration-additional

5024
span
5025
span

5025
span
5021
elaboration-additional

5026
multinuc
5031
Contrast

5027
span
5026
Comparison

5028
span
29
elaboration-object-attribute-e

5029
span
5030
span

5030
span
5004
elaboration-additional

5031
multinuc
5037
span

5032
span
5036
span

5033
multinuc
33
elaboration-additional

5034
multinuc
5044
span

5035
span
5034
List

5036
span
5031
circumstance

5037
span
5132
span

5038
span
5039
span

5039
span
5034
elaboration-additional

5040
span
5046
span

5041
span
5040
elaboration-additional

5042
multinuc
5047
span

5043
span



5044
span
5045
span

5045
span
5032
elaboration-additional

5046
span
5131
span

5047
span
44
manner

5048
multinuc
5042
preference

5049
span
5050
Same-Unit

5050
multinuc
5051
Inverted-Sequence

5051
multinuc
5052
span

5052
span
5058
span

5053
span
5054
Comparison

5054
multinuc
5059
span

5055
span
5056
Same-Unit

5056
multinuc
61
attribution

5057
span
5061
span

5058
span
5046
elaboration-additional

5059
span
5052
elaboration-additional

5060
span
5057
elaboration-additional

5061
span
5071
span

5062
span
5070
Sequence

5063
span
5065
Same-Unit

5064
span
66
elaboration-object-attribute-e

5065
multinuc
5069
span

5066
span
5065
elaboration-additional

5067
multinuc
70
elaboration-additional

5068
multinuc
5067
Contrast

5069
span
5070
Sequence

5070
multinuc
5079
span

5071
span
5054
elaboration-additional

5072
span
5078
span

5073
span
5075
Same-Unit

5074
span
5075
Same-Unit

5075
multinuc
5072
elaboration-additional

5076
span
5074
span

5077
multinuc
79
purpose-e

5078
span
5070
elaboration-additional

5079
span
5061
elaboration-additional

5080
multinuc
5081
Contrast

5081
multinuc
5083
Sequence

5082
span
5083
Sequence

5083
multinuc
5088
span

5084
span
5083
Sequence

5085
span
5083
elaboration-additional

5086
span
5087
Same-Unit

5087
multinuc
89
elaboration-object-attribute-e

5088
span
5102
Sequence

5089
span



5090
span
5091
Same-Unit

5091
multinuc
93
elaboration-additional

5092
span
5091
Same-Unit

5093
span
5094
Sequence

5094
multinuc
5103
Sequence

5095
span
5094
Sequence

5096
multinuc
5095
span

5097
span
5096
List

5098
span
5103
Sequence

5099
span
5098
span

5100
span
5101
Same-Unit

5101
multinuc
104
elaboration-set-member-e

5102
multinuc
5037
elaboration-additional

5103
multinuc
5102
Sequence

5104
span
5107
span

5105
span
5104
explanation-argumentative

5106
span
110
result

5107
span
5114
span

5108
span
5113
span

5109
multinuc
5108
elaboration-additional

5110
span
5111
Same-Unit

5111
multinuc
5109
Reason

5112
multinuc
5111
Same-Unit

5113
span
5122
span

5114
span
5132
elaboration-additional

5115
span
5117
Same-Unit

5116
multinuc
120
explanation-argumentative

5117
multinuc
5123
span

5118
span
5117
Same-Unit

5119
span
5129
span

5120
span
125
elaboration-additional-e

5121
span
126
manner

5122
span
5107
elaboration-additional

5123
span
5113
elaboration-additional

5124
span
5119
elaboration-additional

5125
span
129
concession

5126
span
130
elaboration-additional-e

5127
span
5126
span

5128
multinuc
132
reason

5129
span
5117
elaboration-additional

5130
span
5048
Proportion

5131
span
5044
elaboration-additional

5132
span
5133
span

5133
span
5029
elaboration-additional

