As we reported on Japan Talk #045, a government worker in Nara received full wages during a five-year period during which he worked a mere 8 days: one day in 2001, six days in 2003, and one day in 2005.

According to city officials, there was nothing they could do about it, because the man broke no laws or regulations!! According to in-house regulations, a Nara Municipal Government worker is entitled to up to 90 days of paid sick leave for a single illness. The man kept taking sick leave, submitting certificates from a doctor, always for a different ailment.

Now it has been learned that the employee in question and others from the Nara Municipal Government pressured the doctor into issuing false certificates.

According to the doctor, the former employee began coming to the clinic about two years ago.

He complained of a backache or diarrhea he claimed was work-related and had the doctor write about 20 certificates to submit to his workplace.

Another employee visited the clinic and demanded the doctor write a certificate concerning a disease the employee used to have. When the doctor refused, a man identifying himself as the employee’s boss visited the doctor and said the two would be in trouble if they did not have the certificate. The man also asked the doctor to extend the employee’s treatment period.

Meanwhile, the government is still claiming that taxes will need to be raised in order to cover shortfalls.