Officials in Japan’s southwestern prefecture of Fukuoka are under increasing scrutiny for a series of overseas "research trips" that included stays in Paris and London, with expenditures reaching 337 million yen (US$2.08 million), including costly hotel upgrades. This has sparked public frustration over political spending during a time of rising household costs.

Governor Seitaro Hattori expressed "regret" at a press conference on Tuesday, July 14th, 2026, acknowledging that "established practice" was not followed in planning 23 overseas trips since 2021. The prefectural government has promised to "review long-standing customs" related to such expenditures.

The local government, dominated by elected representatives of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), is facing pressure amid efforts to recover from a slush-fund controversy that affected the party nationally in 2023. Analysts note that while expensive overseas trips by politicians have been common in recent decades, the Fukuoka case is drawing sharper criticism due to widespread economic challenges faced by many Japanese citizens, including rising prices for food and essentials alongside stagnant wages.

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