Japan Parliamentary Vice Min. Yamada Quits over Affair

Jiji Press

17:28 JST, October 26, 2023

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — The government on Thursday accepted the resignation of Taro Yamada, a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, as parliamentary vice minister for education and postdisaster reconstruction over an extramarital affair.

Yamada, 56, is the first to have quit among the ministers, state ministers and parliamentary vice ministers since Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reshuffled his cabinet in mid-September. Yamada tendered his resignation on Wednesday.

The development will be certain to deal a blow to Kishida at a time when public support rates for his cabinet have plummeted.

On Thursday, the government appointed Akiko Honda, an LDP member and lawmaker of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, Japan’s parliament, to replace Yamada as parliamentary vice minister for education, culture, sports, science and technology and for postdisaster reconstruction.