Backlash in Japan over Fukuoka officials’ costly overseas ‘research trips’

Officials in Japan’s southwestern prefecture of Fukuoka are facing growing scrutiny over a series of overseas “research trips” that included stays in Paris and London and millions of yen in hotel upgrades, as public frustration builds over political spending during a period of rising household costs. The controversies have put pressure on Governor Seitaro Hattori and the local chapter of the rulin