Joichi Ito's Japan government role uncertain amid fresh Epstein scrutiny

TOKYO, March 2 (Reuters) - Japan has yet to decide on reappointing businessman Joichi Ito to an entrepreneurship project, the official overseeing it said on Monday, after a newspaper reported that Ito would be dropped over ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The report came after the release of millions of new Epstein documents by the U.S. Justice Department that revived scrutiny of Ito's ties with Epstein and his current roles in Japanese government and academic circles.

No decisions have been made about committee members for the next term, however, a government official overseeing the 64-billion-yen ($407-million) programme told Reuters.

Ito's current appointment was not problematic, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"He has never been convicted of any criminal act," the official said, adding, "His expertise is vital to our initiative."

The comment came in response to a report in the Sankei newspaper, citing an unidentified source, that Ito would not be reappointed after his term ended this month.

Ito could not be immediately reached for comment.

Ito, who has denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, resigned in 2019 from the role of director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab over an Epstein-linked funding scandal.

Last week, the New York Times said Ito's involvement in Japan's programme led some U.S. and Japanese universities to distance themselves from it, even before more than 4,000 emails in the latest release showed his close ties with Epstein.

The programme, known as the "Global Startup Campus Initiative", aims to build a tech innovation hub in Tokyo in partnership with top universities. It had hired Ito since 2024 as an executive adviser, and later, a steering committee member.

In a statement on Saturday, the Chiba Institute of Technology, where Ito has served as president since 2023, said it "reaffirmed that he had no knowledge of any illegal or improper activities".

The private university near Tokyo added that its "trust in President Ito remains unwavering".

Ito also served on another panel at Japan's Digital Agency.

Asked if the agency would investigate him over the Epstein files, Digital Minister Hisashi Matsumoto declined to comment, telling a press conference on Friday it could not act on uncertain information.

The Japanese fintech company Ito co-founded in the 1990s, Digital Garage Inc 4819.T, said on Friday he would retire as executive officer by the end of March and as a board director at its June shareholder meeting, but gave no reason.

($1=156.2900 yen)