JAPAN: By Public Demand

Giju Manabe, 66-year-old member of the Japanese Diet, felt he was a victim of circumstances. His constituency straddles Tokyo's red-light district. Last week, bailed out of jail, where he had been sent on a charge of accepting $1,400 in bribes from the brothelkeepers' association, Manabe fingered his mustache, explained: "Brothelkeepers are also voters. I had a duty to them. The prostitution problem has to be looked at from all angles."

"I returned $600," added Manabe, a leader of the Liberal Democratic Party's Public Morals and Health Committee. "The remainder I spent investigating prostitution in foreign countries at first hand." On...

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