* Abe justifies reserve as allowing quick response to virus
* Size of reserve is 20 times usual sum set aside annually
* Huge reserve strains Japan's already tattered finances
* Some lawmakers say reserve breaches constitution rules
By Tetsushi Kajimoto and Leika Kihara
TOKYO, June 12 (Reuters) - A $94 billion emergency fund that can be tapped without parliamentary oversight has been branded Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's "pocket money" by opposition lawmakers alarmed at its unprecedented size.
Abe has said the 10 trillion yen ($94 billion) will allow the government to move swiftly to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus outbreak - a "once in a century crisis" which has devastated the economy.
"We'll report to parliament how we spend the money as needed and at the appropriate time," Abe told parliament on Friday.
But at 20 times the usual sum for a reserve fund - and roughly equal the amount Japan spends on education and defence combined - the fund has even raised questions from the bureaucrats who have discretion on how to spend the money.
"It's awful," said a finance ministry official. "It's a huge blank cheque that would leave Japan with a bad precedent," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak publicly.
The fund, part of Japan's second $1.1 trillion economic stimulus package, is set to pass through parliament on Friday.
The issue highlights how Abe, pressed with time and under pressure to match massive stimulus deployed by other major economies, has rankled taxpayers with spending that one of the most indebted nations can ill afford.
"Lawmakers of Abe's ruling party wanted a magical wallet and thought they can get one because we're in a crisis," said independent political affairs analyst Atsuo Ito.
"Fiscal reform has become a distant goal... The cost of big spending will fall upon the next generation."
Some analysts, however, argue the size is justified given the need to guard against a second wave of infection.
"You need huge sums in reserve when you're dealing with so much unpredictability. You need to be ready for emergencies," said Yasuhide Yajima, chief economist at NLI Research Institute.
For an interactive graphic on Japan's budget, click: https://tmsnrt.rs/2ApvKLg
CONSTITUTION
Japan typically sets aside reserves of around several hundred billion yen in the annual budget, largely to meet disaster relief and other unexpected costs.
The government has discretion on how to use the money and needs to report to parliament only after the funds are tapped.