Japanese judge admits charges of online gambling

Akifumi Morimoto, 52, a judge at Niigata Summary Court, told the Judge Impeachment Court that the charges against him were "correct."

The Judge Indictment Committee said Morimoto began gambling at online casinos to raise funds for foreign exchange margin trading and placed more than 60,000 bets over six months, including during working hours.

Morimoto said, "I am deeply sorry for undermining public trust in the judicial system through my foolish conduct."

He was given a suspended prison sentence in July for habitual gambling and other offenses. He was found guilty of gambling on baccarat through a casino website on his smartphone and embezzling about 2.78 million yen in fees collected by the management association of a housing complex for public employees in 2023.

The last judicial impeachment trial was that of Kiichi Okaguchi, who was dismissed in 2024 over inappropriate social media posts. He was the eighth judge dismissed through impeachment since the end of World War II. A judge removed by impeachment loses judicial status.