TOKYO, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government on Thursday approved the resignation of parliamentary vice-minister of education and culture Taro Yamada over a scandal.
Yamada, a lawmaker belonging to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), submitted his resignation to the education minister on Wednesday following a media report about his extramarital affair with a woman, a further blow to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet as it struggles with low support ratings.
"My actions lacked self-awareness. I want to avoid obstructing parliamentary deliberations," Yamada told reporters, while denying he would step down as a lawmaker.
Opposition parties are set to grill Kishida over the scandal during the ongoing parliamentary session, with his Cabinet's approval ratings already at the lowest levels since its launch in October 2021, Kyodo News reported.
The government appointed female LDP upper house member Akiko Honda to the vice-ministerial post at a Cabinet meeting on the day. ■
