Japanese Lawmakers to Be Paid by Days They Worked

Yomiuri Shimbun reported on the 25th that Japanese ruling coalition, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Komeito, and New Conservative Party (NCP), are like to change the salary system for lawmakers from being paid by month to by day. With the agreement of the opposition parties to this plan, it seems to be able to put into operation from April when new fiscal year begins after amending related laws in the open plenary session of National Assembly.

Japanese salary law for law makers stipulates that `the salary for a month should be paid even if a law maker worked for just one day of his term` and that the law maker’s salary should be higher than that of ordinary national officers.

According to this provision, both newly elected lawmakers and defeated lawmakers were paid in the month when election was performed. Monthly salary of Japanese lawmaker is 1 million and 375,000 yen (around 13.75 million won).

ksshim@donga.com