The following is a concise summary of the transcript:
- The transcript is from a TV Tokyo News report on a heated debate between Prime Minister Abe and Democratic Party lawmaker Kuroiwa at the House of Representatives Budget Committee on the 4th of November, 2019.
- The debate was about the cherry blossom viewing party, an annual event hosted by the Prime Minister, and the eve party, a private dinner held at Hotel New Otani the night before the main event.
- Kuroiwa accused Abe of giving profits to his supporters by arranging the eve party at a low price of 5,000 yen per person, and questioned who was the contracting party and who bore the risk of cancellation fees with the hotel.
- Abe denied any wrongdoing and claimed that his office acted as an intermediary between the hotel and the individual participants, who paid their own fees and received receipts from the hotel. He also said that the hotel set the price based on its long-term relationship with his office and did not charge any cancellation fees with its consent.
- Abe also accused Kuroiwa of lying about the cost estimation of the eve party, which Kuroiwa based on the assumption that Kyubey, a high-end sushi restaurant, catered for the event. Abe said that Kyubey did not provide any food for the eve party and that Kuroiwa should correct his statement.
- Kuroiwa insisted that he was asking questions based on the terms and conditions of the hotel, which stated that the final number of attendees and the cost of food preparation would be decided by the last weekday before the event date, and that any decrease in attendees after that would incur charges. He also asked Abe to disclose the statement issued by the hotel, which he said would reveal who was the addressee and who was the subject of the contract.
- The debate ended without a clear resolution, and the TV Tokyo News channel invited viewers to subscribe to its channel and watch more economic news.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The conversation took place at the House of Representatives Budget Committee.
2. The participants were Democratic Party lawmaker Uhiro Kuroiwa and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
3. The discussion was about a cherry blossom viewing party.
4. Prime Minister Abe's office acted as an intermediary for the party.
5. The hotel charged 5,000 yen per participant.
6. Over 800 participants personally applied to the hotel.
7. The hotel set the price, and Abe's office agreed to it.
8. Prime Minister Abe initially denied making a statement, but later retracted it.
9. The conversation also involved a discussion about a sushi restaurant, specifically Kyubey.
10. The terms and conditions of the hotel's contract were discussed, including the cancellation policy.
11. Prime Minister Abe stated that the contract was with individual participants, not his office.
12. The hotel's policy was to charge based on the final number of attendees, even if some participants canceled.
13. The conversation also touched on the topic of accountability and the Prime Minister's statements.
14. The Prime Minister denied reading the terms and conditions of the contract.
15. The discussion also involved a mention of an investigation and a survey conducted by the hotel.