In connection with Asahi Shimbun’s report of alleged alterations to a Finance Ministry document relating to the Moritomo Gakuen issue, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Secretary General Toshihiro Nikai made an unusual request with the Kantei to present this document.   Nikai summoned Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasutoshi Nishimura to the party headquarters on March 7 to ask him to act….Read more

In the Finance Ministry’s report to the Diet on its investigation of allegations of falsification of documents relating to the approval of the sale of government-owned land to Moritomo Gakuen, the ministry consistently dodged the question of whether there was any tampering of documents, citing the ongoing investigations of the Osaka District Prosecutor’s Office as reason. There is widespread concern….Read more

The government announced on March 2 the reappointment of former Okinawa Affairs Minister Aiko Shimajiri as assistant to new Okinawa Affairs Minister Teru Fukui effective on the same day. She will mostly be responsible for the promotion of emergency measures to deal with child poverty in Okinawa. Shimajiri was also assistant to former Okinawa Affairs Ministers Yosuke Tsuruho and Tetsuma….Read more

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has appointed as the replacement of Okinawa Affairs Minister Tetsuma Esaki, who resigned for health reasons, former State Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Teru Fukui, who also belongs to the same Nikai faction of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) as Esaki. This reflects  a great deal of deference to Secretary General Toshihiro Nikai….Read more

All networks reported at noon that Minister in charge of Okinawa and Northern Territories affairs Esaki, who was hospitalized last week after a minor stroke, has decided to step down. NHK said that Prime Minister Abe has decided to tap the LDP’s Teru Fukui, former State Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, to replace him. Fukui, 64, has….Read more

TOKYO — Minister in charge of Okinawa and Northern Territories affairs Tetsuma Esaki resigned Tuesday after suffering a minor stroke, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe picking a senior lawmaker as Esaki’s successor.   Abe said he has appointed 64-year-old Teru Fukui, a former senior vice education minister, to replace the 74-year-old Esaki. Fukui, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party member of….Read more

TOKYO — Japan’s minister in charge of Okinawa and Northern Territories affairs, Tetsuma Esaki, was admitted to a hospital again Monday after being treated last week for symptoms of a minor stroke, the government spokesman said.   Esaki, who was diagnosed with having had a transient ischemic attack that causes temporary disruption of blood flow to the brain, was hospitalized….Read more

An informed source revealed that Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs Minister Tetsuma Esaki left the hospital where he was confined for a checkup on Feb. 24. Esaki was hospitalized on Feb. 19 for a possible mild case of cerebral infarction, but was diagnosed to have had a transient ischemic attack.

Monday’s Nikkei published the results of its latest public opinion poll that put support for the Abe cabinet at 56%, up 1 point from last month, and nonsupport at 36%, down 1 point. On Prime Minister Abe’s desire to alter Article 9 of the Constitution, about 47% were in favor of his idea of adding a provision to make the….Read more

NHK reported on Tuesday evening on the results of its opinion survey conducted over the weekend, which showed that 46% of respondents expressed support for the Abe cabinet while 34%, down 3 points from last month, expressed disapproval. On PM Abe’s attendance at the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Olympics, 63% expressed support, while 30% did not. Concerning the premier’s….Read more