Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said that he will remove his son from the position of his executive secretary amid mounting public outrage over a private party held at his official residence last year.
Kishida told reporters on Monday that his son, Shotaro, would step down as his executive secretary for political affairs due to “inappropriate behaviour”.
The move came after the weekly Shukan Bunshun magazine published photos showing Kishida’s son and his relatives at the prime minister’s official residence attending a year-end party on December 30.
The photos showed the guests posing on red-carpeted stairs in an imitation of the group photos taken of newly appointed Cabinets, with the younger Kishida at the centre – the position reserved for the prime minister.
Other photos showed guests standing at a podium as if holding a news conference.
“His behaviour at a public space was inappropriate as someone who is in an official position as a political aide. I’ve decided to replace him for accountability,” Kishida told reporters on Monday night.
He said his son will be replaced by another secretary, Takayoshi Yamamoto, on Thursday.
Kishida acknowledged that he had briefly greeted the guests, but said he did not stay at the dinner party.
He said he severely reprimanded his son for the event, but that failed to quell ongoing criticism from opposition legislators and public outrage, which have pushed down his support ratings.
