State Minister for Foreign Affairs Retracts ‘Advance Notice’ Remark after Party Acknowledges ‘Factually Incorrect’

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:01 JST, November 11, 2025

State minister for foreign affairs Ayano Kunimitsu on Monday retracted and apologized for a post she made on X accusing opposition lawmakers of being late in giving advance notice for questions they intended to ask the government.

On Friday, Kunimitsu made a post on the social media platform following a 3 a.m. study session for the lower house Budget Committee held by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

“The reason it was necessary to report for work at 3 a.m. was because the advance notice we were given for questions came in late,” she wrote. “How many opposition lawmakers actually observe the rule that requires them to give notice by noon two days in advance?”

While ruling and opposition parties agreed to the deadline indicated in Kunimitsu’s post in 1999, the language was revised in 2014, becoming “to strive to submit notices promptly.”

On Monday, Hajime Yoshikawa of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the opposition bloc’s chief director on the lower house Rules and Administration Committee, demanded that Hideki Murai, the ruling bloc’s chief director, secure an apology and retraction from Kunimitsu.

At a news conference on the same day, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara acknowledged that Kunimitsu’s post was “factually incorrect” and said that she had been cautioned.

According to Kihara, all advance notices for Friday’s questioning had been given by around noon on Thursday.

Nevertheless, many have pointed out that dealing with advance notices of questions contributes to the long working hours faced by bureaucrats.

Speaking to reporters, Murai said, “All lawmakers must keep firmly in mind the need to give advance notice swiftly.”