Japan's Justice Minister Resigns Over Controversial Remarks
The Cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has suffered a fresh blow. Justice Minister Hanashi Yasuhiro resigned over controversial remarks he had made about his role and the death penalty.
At a gathering on Wednesday, Hanashi said he had a "low-profile job that makes headlines only when he authorizes executions." That sparked criticism from both opposition and ruling party lawmakers. He met Kishida on Friday to tender his resignation.
Kishida said, "He undermined public trust towards the judicial administration by his thoughtless remarks. His remarks could have delayed Diet discussions on our key policies. Considering these points, I have accepted his resignation."
Kishida delayed a visit to countries in South East Asia in order to appoint his replacement. He picked former Agriculture Minister Saito Ken to take over the post.
The leader of the main opposition party criticized Kishida for not recognizing the seriousness of the issue sooner.
Constitutional Democratic Party President Izumi Kenta said, "A justice minister making such a remark was unacceptable. That is why we have been insisting his resignation was unavoidable. The prime minister is really slow in making decisions."
Hanashi is the second Cabinet member to resign in less than a month. Economic Revitalization Minister Yamagiwa Daishiro stepped down after a series of revelations about his links to a controversial religious group, formally known as the Unification Church.