The head of the Kyoto-based kanji promotion body, who stepped down April 15 amid allegations of involvement in improper business practices, received about ¥53 million in retirement money while in office, it was learned April 20.

Noboru Okubo, 73, former director of the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, received the money without obtaining approval from the foundation's board in yet another revelation of significant personal gains from the operations of the body, according to officials of the foundation.

It had also been revealed that Okubo was involved in questionable business deals with four family companies linked to him and his relatives. They earned a total of ¥530 million over three years through the end of last month.