Japan loses 4th minister for affiliation with Ay sect

Japan’s Minister of Reconstruction, embroiled in a political-financial scandal, resigned this Tuesday (27). He is the fourth member of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government – an increasingly unpopular one according to polls – to step down in three months.

Kenyan Minister of Reconstruction Akiba was responsible for leading the recovery of areas affected by the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011. He had been emaciated for several weeks due to scandals involving his name.

Akiba admitted that his wife and mother had for years received money from two political groups in the form of rent payments. He is also accused of making illegal payments to several assistants during the 2021 election campaign.

“I don’t think I acted illegally,” the politician said on Tuesday. said. He said the resignation was a precautionary measure to “not paralyze” the government’s agenda.

another loss

Mio Sugita, Deputy Minister of Interior and Communications, also left the government on Tuesday. The far-right politician, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, has been heavily criticized in recent weeks for his biased statements about the LGBT+ community and ethnic minorities in Japan a few years ago.

After a series of scandals and revelations in recent months, the Japanese government has weakened. The cases specifically concerned ties between the leaders of the Liberal Democratic Party (conservative), the main body in the government led by Prime Minister Kishida, and the Unification Church, also known as the “Moon sect”.

Since October, the Japanese government has lost three more ministers: Interior Minister Minoru Terada was forced to resign at the end of November after political and financial scandals. A few days ago, Minister of Justice Yasuhiro Hanashi left the government, complaining that his portfolio was not being taken care of. And at the end of October, Daishiro Yamagiwa, Minister of Economic Stimulation, was dismissed for his ties to the Moon sect.

Murder of Shinzo Abe

Practices of the so-called “lunar cult” gained prominence in Japan after the murder of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July. The man accused of the crime and arrested shortly after the attack said he was angry because he saw Shinzo Abe as a politician close to this religious group that would destroy his family when he was young.

Kishida and his cabinet’s popularity rating is in the 30% range, which is considered the edge of the “danger zone” in Japan.

“We continue with the mountainous task we have to place,” said Fumio Kishida this Tuesday, before underscoring that he has no intention of declaring a reform in his ministry at this time.

(with information from AFP)