THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
December 4, 2024 at 15:19 JST
Tsutomu Hotta, a lawyer, former prosecutor and welfare activist, in March (Aashi Shimbun file photo)
Tsutomu Hotta, the prosecutor who played a key role in the downfall of former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka in the Lockheed payoff scandal, died Nov. 24 of natural causes. He was 90.
Hotta was also active in welfare issues for more than 30 years after setting up the Sawayaka Welfare Foundation to promote volunteer activities in Japan’s rapidly aging society.
A native of Kyoto Prefecture, Hotta became a prosecutor in 1961.
The scandal over the sale of Lockheed Corp. aircraft was one of the largest corruption cases in postwar Japan. Tanaka was indicted for accepting bribes in 1976.
While he was a counselor at the Justice Ministry, Hotta obtained documents on Lockheed through behind-the-scenes negotiations with the U.S. Justice Department and other entities.
Later, he served as a key member of the investigation team within the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office’s Special Investigation Department.
He also played a key role in Tanaka’s trial. Tanaka was in office from 1972 to 1974.
Hotta earned the nickname “razor” for his hard-nosed style of investigation.
He established the Sawayaka Welfare Foundation in 1991 after he retired from public service.
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