Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks to reporters following North Korea’s missile launch on April 13, 2023.
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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday announced he planned to make changes to his cabinet as he seeks to stem the fallout from a fundraising scandal that has further dented public support for his administration.
The embattled premier told a press conference he would make the changes on Thursday and said his administration had a “strong sense of crisis” to tackle political funding problems.
Kishida has indicated that Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno – who holds one of the most powerful posts in government – is among those to be removed, the head of his ruling coalition partner Natsuo Yamaguchi said earlier on Wednesday.
Kishida as recently as Tuesday said he wanted Matsuno, who coordinates policy across government on his behalf, to continue in his job. Ex-foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi is being lined up to replace Matsuno, several news outlets reported.
Four cabinet ministers and several deputy ministers are expected to go, according to media reports, as prosecutors investigate whether some lawmakers received thousands of dollars in fundraising proceeds missing from official party accounts.
But analysts say a cabinet clearout is unlikely to draw a line under a scandal that has raised serious questions about Kishida’s leadership and thrown his government into disarray. Koichi Hagiuda, a high-ranking official from his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) who oversees budget proposals, has decided to resign, broadcaster NHK and Kyodo news agency reported.
Kishida is also considering shelving a planned trip to Brazil and Chile next month, the Mainichi newspaper said.
“At this stage, the most Mr. Kishida can hope for is to arrest the current decline in his personal support,” said Corey Wallace, associate professor of political science and international relations at Kanagawa University.
“Increasing it,…
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