News Justice minister forced to resign over gaffe

Kishida met with reporters in the evening of Nov. 11 and explained that he was appointing Ken Saito, a former agriculture minister, to replace Hanashi. Just before that, Hanashi met with Kishida to hand him his resignation. Hanashi then told reporters he was stepping down. "I used the term 'death sentence' too lightly," Hanashi said. "I caused the public and Justice Ministry officials to hold uncomfortable feelings. I have also caused Diet deliberations to stall." Kishida had just publicly defended Hanashi that morning in an appearance at the Upper House plenary session. He explained to lawmakers that Hanashi would remain in his post since the minister had retracted his remark and apologized for it. But Kishida apparently changed his mind shortly afterward. Even lawmakers from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party were flabbergasted by the remark made by Hanashi on Nov. 9 at a gathering of LDP lawmakers, and some openly speculated it would cost him his job.

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「法務大臣というのは、朝、死刑のはんこを押して、昼のニュースのトップになるのはそういう時だけという地味な役職だ」
「今回は旧統一教会の問題に抱きつかれてしまい、一生懸命、その問題の解決に取り組まなければならず、私の顔もいくらかテレビで出ることになった」
「外務省と法務省は票とお金に縁がない。外務副大臣になっても、全然お金がもうからない。法相になってもお金は集まらない」

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thomas said:

葉梨康弘 - Wikipedia

ja.wikipedia.org

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The approval rating for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet slid to a record low of 37 percent as criticism continued over his handling of Unification Church issues, an Asahi Shimbun survey showed. It was the first time the approval rate has dipped under 40 percent—the ratio in the previous survey taken in October—since Kishida took power in October 2021. According to the nationwide telephone survey conducted on Nov. 12 and 13, the disapproval rate rose to 51 percent from 50 percent in October.

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