Shingo Nishimura, who has refused to step down from his seat in the lower house, was sentenced to two years in prison suspended for five years.

Nishimura is known for sailing in 1997 to reinforce Japan’s claim to an island chain in the East China Sea disputed with China and Taiwan.

The 58-year-old independent lawmaker was convicted of letting a member of his law firm use Nishimura’s license as a lawyer in return for 8.36 million yen (US$69,000).

“The suspect knew that lending his license was illegal,” Jiji Press quoted Judge Hiroyuki Nakagawa of the Osaka District Court as saying.

“The suspect selfishly calculated that he could earn five million yen a year without working and then add it to his political financial chest,” he ruled.

The judge, however, suspended the sentence, saying Nishimura had already paid a price.

“Although he has serious criminal responsibility, he has regretted it and has been punished socially,” Nakagawa said.

Nishimura was a member of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, but was expelled after his arrest in November 2005.

He resigned in 1999 as defense parliamentary undersecretary, after saying Japan should consider developing nuclear weapons — a position which has become more mainstream since North Korea’s nuclear test last year.

Nishimura is also known for his strident support of Yasukuni shrine, which venerates Japanese war dead and war criminals alike. The site has been the source of friction with China and South Korea, which remain haunted by Japan’s past aggression.

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