Japanese Justice Minister Yasuhiro Hanashim resigned today after reports that the country was joking about the death penalty. These reports are that he says his “low profile” position only gets media coverage if he approves of such punishment.
Hanashi’s resignation is another setback for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government, which is currently facing a slump in approval rates.
The departure also comes just weeks after the Minister for Economic Stimulation. Daishiro Yamagiwa left the government after becoming the target of lawsuits for his ties to a religious group in the Unification Church.
According to Hanashi-related reports, the minister reportedly told a party this week that his job was “a job that only made headlines on the lunchtime news after he was given the stamp of approval to the death penalty in the morning.”
Japan is one of the few developed countries to retain the death penalty, and public support for the sentence is high despite international criticism.
Hanashi described his speech as “overlooked” when announcing his resignation. He has been on the job since August.
Kishida was supposed to leave for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Cambodia in the afternoon, but delayed his departure until 1 a.m. local time to identify a replacement for Hanashi.
“I take seriously my responsibility to name you first. When faced with the challenges ahead, I would like to fulfill my duties,” Kishida said.
The government’s low approval ratings are due in part to the controversy over politicians’ ties to the Unification Church.
The sect has been in the limelight since it was revealed that the man accused of killing former prime minister Shinzo Abe was angered by his mother’s donations that drove the family into bankruptcy.
Officially known as the Federation of Families for Peace and World Unity, the church rejected injustice.
*with information from AFP
source: Noticias
