From March 2016, the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly received a total of 610 telephone calls of complaint regarding Masuzoe's alleged extravagant spending. Then in May of that year, the Shukan Bunshun weekly news magazine reported on issues regarding public figures' official automobile travel expenses and the use of political funds for family trips. Masuzoe was the focus of the reports on the use of political funds for family trips, and came under prolonged media criticism. Masuzoe held a press conference that month to apologize for having declared over ¥370,000 spent on dining with his family at restaurants in 2013 and 2014 as "meeting-related" expenses covered by political funds. Among these were hotel expenses, family vacation trips, artwork, comic books as well as the use of government vehicle to travel to his holiday home located in Yugawara, Kanagawa Prefecture. In the following weeks investigations into his activities uncovered further inappropriate spending of public funds. An investigation instigated by Masuzoe and conducted by lawyers determined that he had used ¥4.4 million "inappropriately", but had not committed any crime. Masuzoe subsequently declared that he would refund the misappropriated expenses, but refused to resign over the issue.