money in politics; political corruption through bribery; kleptocracy
Refers to the problematic relationship between politics and money, especially bribery, slush funds, and corrupt financial practices. Often used in media and criticism.
The issue of money in politics greatly damages voters' trust.
That politician resigned due to a money-in-politics scandal.
A compound of 政治 (politics) and カネ (money), with カネ often written in katakana to highlight the negative connotation of 'dirty money'. The phrase became widely used in Japanese media to describe political funding scandals.