Japan's government acknowledged that hundreds of bureaucrats routinely accept free beer, snacks and even cash from taxi drivers competing for late-night business.

The revelation came June 6 in response to an opposition request for a survey of governmentwide taxi use, and could be a major embarrassment for Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's unpopular government.

Public servants can claim late-night taxis as an official expense, but government guidelines prohibit them from accepting hospitality or benefits exceeding "common sense." It was not immediately clear what, if any, penalties those implicated in the scandal would face.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said a government investigation found that 502 bureaucrats from 13 ministries and agencies accepted gifts on about 12,400 occasions from taxi drivers competing for repeat fares.