The resignation Wednesday of Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe over his misappropriation of political funds has once again brought to the fore the long-standing "wheeler-dealer" mentality that has plagued Japanese politics for decades.

Masuzoe, 67, was elected as the governor of Tokyo two years ago following his predecessor being ousted for a 53 million yen ($500,000) funding scandal, and at that time pledged to the public that he would do his utmost to restore their faith in the capital's politics and in doing so, earned himself more than 2 million votes to secure his position in a landslide victory.

But Masuzoe, in a time of austerity as the nation's economy has continued to stagnate under the flawed policies of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's "Abenomics" blend of economic revival rhetoric, has duped the public with his double-dealings and raised questions about the ruling Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition's decision to back him in the gubernatorial election in the first place.

Masuzoe, who is well-schooled in international politics and no stranger to parliament as he served as the nation's health minister for years, has offered little by way of explanation and even refused to elaborate on his misuse of political funds under questioning from the Tokyo assembly. His resignation is not just an admission of culpability but a guarantee that his name will now be added to an ever-growing list of politicians and high-profile government officials that have been caught with their hands in the till.

Political analysts have been quick to point to a culture of back room dealings, cash for favors and extravagant private expenses being written off at the taxpayer's expense that have and continue to be synonymous with politics in Japan.

Since Abe retook office in December 2012, no less than four of his own ministers have been forced out of their positions for similar scandals, with Masuzoe's misconduct doing little to restore faith in a system that has been consistently plagued by financial indiscretions, carried out by officials entrusted to serve the public, but instead choosing to serve themselves at the expense of hardworking taxpayers. Former economy and fiscal policy minister Akira Amari was also forced to step down in January for his involvement in a bribery scandal involving him providing special political favors to a construction company in return for free entertainment, gifts and millions of yen in cash.

The amounts of money or the equivalent in illicit receipt of gifts, services and entertainment are far from paltry. In Masuzoe's case he used 450,000 yen from his now defunct political funds body to pay for accommodation and dining expenses alone for a trip he made with his family to a luxury hotel in the New Year holiday season.

Masuzoe has also been accused of taking multiple trips overseas since he became governor in 2014, to the tune of 200 million yen, and has faced accusations of commandeering government vehicles for his own use to make frequent visits to his luxury villa at a hot spring resort just outside Tokyo, all at the taxpayer's expense.

Allegations levied against Masuzoe, who has become known for his lavish lifestyle, also claim he improperly used funds to purchase expensive art, books and clothing, causing further indignation from taxpayers.

Also of concern is the fact that this culture of fraudulent behavior in the government often goes undetected by the entities that exist to ensure that political funds are dealt with and accounted for correctly and shady backroom deals are shut down. Scandals only come to light after investigative journalists expose the corruption in their pages, often at risk to themselves and the publishers they work for.

The author is a writer with the Xinhua News Agency. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn