Japan squander's 2.3bn yen from tsunami recontructions funds on Antarctic & Pacific whale hunts

The Times UK November 1, 2012:

The Japanese Government has spent taxpayers’ money intended for the reconstruction of areas devastated by last year’s tsunami on a range of irrelevant projects, including spades for jailed criminals, training for air force fighter pilots and funding for a whale hunt.

About a quarter of the 11.7 trillion yen (£91 billion) set aside to restore the ravaged north east has been spent on programmes unrelated to the disaster, according to analysis of the Government’s own audit report.

BBC New Asia October 31:

Japan has spent funds intended for reconstruction after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami on unrelated projects, a government audit has found.

Projects financed by the $150bn (£93bn) fund include roads in Okinawa, an ad campaign for Japan's tallest building and support for whaling research.

Some 325,000 people remain displaced 18 months on from the disaster.

In some areas little reconstruction work has been carried out, reports say.

The Australian November 2:

2.3bn yen or approximately AUD$2.7 million went to Japan's fisheries agencies to protect its whaling fleet from protests by environmental activists.