Japan’s Justice Minister Quits After “Tedious” Comment Fiasco
Tokyo, Nov 11 – The Japanese justice minister, Yasuhiro Hanashi, walked away from his post, becoming the second member of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s cabinet to bolt over a scandal in under a month. The move comes hot on the heels of the LDP’s tumbling approval ratings, with Kishida hovering around a 30 % satisfaction level—just shy of the danger zone that could stall his policy agenda.
Why Hanashi Was “Tedious” (and why it mattered)
- Hanashi joked that approving an execution was “tedious” – a light jab at a gun‑metal duty that grows hot under the microscope.
- Japan still carries out the death penalty by hanging; the execution paperwork only surfaces on the morning of the sentence.
- Human‑rights advocates have slammed this practice for decades, and Hanashi’s comment only hit the nerve.
After resigning, Hanashi admitted, “I made citizens and ministry staff uncomfortable.” He also de‑emed the entire role of approving an execution as a “no‑point” affair. The “twist”? It was a political manifesto for the paneled of democratic discontent already rolling against the LDP’s ties to the Unification Church.
Quick Replacement & A Shadowy “Cult” Connection
Kishida swooped in with a new justice minister: Harvard‑educated Ken Saito, former agriculture boss. Meanwhile the public gasps over the LDP’s deep‑seated ties to the Unification Church, the white‑flag group that’s been flagged by critics as a cult.
- Former PM Shinzo Abe’s 2022 assassination shook the country’s conscience.
- The killer claimed his mother was ruined by the church and vilified Abe for “promoting” it.
- Although the LDP says there’s no formal link, many lawmakers do have church‑tilled affiliations.
Kishida’s Week‑Long Disaster Rolodex
The UN‑holy scandal stack includes:
- Daishiro Yamagiwa (Dubai minister) resigned on Oct 24 over church ties.
- Internal Affairs Minister Minoru Terada spooked the cabinet with a political‑funds documentation mess.
- The latest 200 billion‑USD (≈274 billion S$) economic aid plan to fights inflation – but Kishida’s popularity didn’t budge.
Asia Tour Delays: From Cambodia to China
Originally slated to fly into Cambodia for an ASEAN + 3 summit on Friday, Kishida postponed his trip until early Saturday. He’s now gearing up for:
- Sunday talks with US President Joe Biden in Cambodia.
- Next week’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Thailand.
One can almost hear the cabinet whisper “Kishida, can we get a clear head while the ship rocks?”
