On Thursday, in the midst of a significant corruption scandal rocking Japan’s ruling party, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida faced a cabinet crisis with the resignation of four Japanese ministers. Allegations of a 500 million yen (US$3.4 million) kickback scandal within the long-standing Liberal Democratic Party, which has been governing Japan for decades, triggered this upheaval.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno confirmed his resignation and revealed that Economy and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, Internal Affairs Minister Junji Suzuki, and Agriculture Minister Ichiro Miyashita had also tendered their resignations.
Matsuno, in a press conference, stated, “Given the various allegations concerning political funds that have undermined public trust in politics, including those concerning my own political funds, I have submitted my resignation.”
Additionally, Michiko Ueno, a special adviser to the prime minister, and five deputy ministers are also departing from their positions, as disclosed by Matsuno, who also serves as the chief government spokesman.
Expressing his intentions to rectify the situation, Nishimura mentioned to reporters, “There are public doubts surrounding my involvement in political funds, leading to a lack of trust in the government. As investigations proceed, I felt the need to address this issue.”
Reports from the media hinted at impending prosecutor actions, including office raids and interviews with numerous lawmakers later in the week.
Kishida, addressing the situation a day earlier, vowed to confront the allegations directly amidst an array of challenges already confronting his leadership.
