TOKYO – Koichi Hagiuda, named minister of education, culture, sports, science and technology, has supported Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s bid to amend the Constitution and even suggested replacing the lower house speaker in July to facilitate the move if debate is stalled.

Hagiuda, who has served as an executive acting secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, was scrutinized in 2017 when Abe was mired in a favoritism scandal involving school operator Kake Gakuen headed by his friend.

The 56-year-old former deputy chief Cabinet secretary was alleged to have pressed the education ministry to quickly approve its plans to open a new veterinary medicine school, but he denied the allegations.

Hagiuda, a Tokyo native who is serving his fifth term as a House of Representatives lawmaker, is the father of a daughter and a son. He says his favorite words are, “One for all. All for one.”