Japan PM Apologizes over Ex-Farm Minister's Resignation

Tokyo, Oct. 16 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi apologized on Friday over the resignation of scandal-hit former agriculture minister Kazuo Yana and vowed to restore public trust in her government.

"I feel remorseful, and I take my responsibility seriously for appointing" Yana, who resigned earlier this week, the prime minister said at a meeting of the Budget Committee of the Senate, the upper chamber of parliament.

"My cabinet will work as one to find solutions to each and every key issue," she said.

On her handling of Yana's scandals, including one linked to budget cuts for municipalities whose mayors did not support him in a general election, Takaichi said, "I wasn't trying to protect him."

She added, "I thought that he should fulfill his responsibility to explain (what he did) and encouraged him to do so."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]