The Japanese government is often criticized for lacking transparency, and a recent report in The Yomiuri Shimbun indicates that such criticism is much deserved.

Of 40 central government officials dismissed for wrongdoing in 2006, the names of only 13 were disclosed, the lowest rate of disclosure since guidelines revealing details of the punishment given to errant officials were drawn up in 2003, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

The Construction and Transport Ministry, Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry and the Japan Coast Guard expelled nine, five and two officials, respectively, last year, but none of their names were disclosed to the public.

The names of the offices to which more than 10 of the 40 punished officials belonged also were withheld when their punishments were announced.

Often, the government hides behind the public’s concerns about personal information security by saying certain actions of public officials using and misusing public funds are private matters and so cannot be made public. Even when it is discovered that government officials are misusing public funds to entertain bigwigs or to pay for other in-house junkets, disclosure of the names of who attended the events is withheld because of “privacy concerns.”

Though there is much fancy talk of governmental reform in Japan these days, there will be no reason for the cockroaches nibbling away at the national treasure to disperse until the light of publicity can be shone upon them.