A video clip of a hysterically weeping Japanese politician accused of spending public money on visits to hot springs has gone viral, leaving many outraged and puzzled.
The video shows Ryutaro Nonomura, 47, a Hyogo Prefectural assemblyman, bursting into tears, uttering nonsensical phrases, wailing and banging on the desk.
One site for the video drew nearly 640,000 views, as of Thursday.
His news conference on Wednesday followed a Kobe Shimbun newspaper report this week that raised questions about him visiting the hot springs 106 times last year, using public money.
Such visits were not illegal and had been reported to the assembly office, but totalled Y3 million ($A31,664).
Calls are rising for Nonomura to give an explanation.
Hyogo legislators get Y500,000 ($A5,277)a month for expenses, including travel.
However, the spending is supposed to be for official travel, research and other costs related to activities of elected office.
Nonomura, who does not belong to a major political party, was found to have gone to other day trips, racking up expenses, including visits to Tokyo and southwestern city of Fukuoka.
Of his 195 day trips, ones to the "onsen" hot-springs resort town of Kinosaki, which lies outside his precinct, were the most frequent.
The appalled public response is also because of the fact Japanese politicians here are generally staid.
Outbursts are considered unsightly in a conservative culture that favours quiet, reserved personal styles.
Nonomura's behaviour has been widely seen as extreme, perhaps even a sign of illness.
Japanese politicians have been forced to quit in the past after gaffes such as comments seen as sexist or discriminatory, or after getting embroiled in sex scandals.
Calls to Nonomura's office and email queries asking for comment were not immediately answered.
Hideaki Asada of the Hyogo Prefectural assembly office said the assembly was now on summer break, but the local government believes Nonomura owes the people an explanation about his spending habits.
"Many people are starting to demand that he resign," Asada said. He added: "He is usually not that emotional."
AP jjs
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