AKITA- Akita Governor Norihisa Satake admitted Wednesday that he lied over a golf trip he took during heavy rainfall in the northeastern Japan prefecture on Saturday.

"I have to admit that I lied," Satake told a press conference at the prefectural government's head office.

During Tuesday's news conference, the governor said he went out of the prefecture for golfing with three former Akita government officials close to him.

But on Wednesday Satake revealed that he was accompanied by six people: four former prefectural officials and two incumbent officials, namely Satoshi Mizusawa, chief of the industry and labor department, and Sakuhiro Kusanagi, chief of the tourism, culture and sports department.

The seven left the governor's office early Saturday morning for a golf course by car and stayed overnight.

Satake said he lied because he wanted to protect the two incumbent officials.

On his reasons for leaving the prefecture despite expectations for the deluge to cause major damage to residents, the governor said that he wanted to have private time as he had few days off.

While expressing willingness to consider punishing himself and the two officials, Satake declined to resign.

Furthermore, the governor corrected the trip destination, saying that he went not to the city of Osaki but to the neighboring town of Kami, both in Miyagi Prefecture, southeast of Akita. (Jiji Press)