When drafting its annual budget, the Japanese government sets aside ¥1.46 billion ($9.4 million) for general “compensation fees” under the oversight of the Cabinet Secretariat.

However, this allocation — widely known as the “Cabinet’s Classified Fund” — has mostly stayed out of the spotlight despite the intense public scrutiny surrounding the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s handling of its political funds.

The classified fund uses taxpayer money, but its existence has long been shrouded in mystery. No official documents on the circumstances for its establishment have been found.