Japanese minister quits over links to religious sect
A Japanese minister resigned on Monday following scrutiny over his links to a religious sect that is under pressure over ties with top politicians after the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe. Daishiro Yamagiwa, minister for economic revitalisation, said his conduct had "caused trouble for the government" but did not name the Unification Church. The movement and its links to senior politicians have been in the spotlight because the man accused of killing Abe in July reportedly resented the organisation over massive donations his mother made that bankrupted the family. The church, officially known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, has denied wrongdoing. But a parade of former members have gone public with criticism of its practices in Japan, and last week Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ordered a government investigation into the group. Its members are sometimes referred to as "Moonies" after Korean founder Sun Myung Moon, who died in 2012. Yamagiwa has been under fire in parliament following local media reports about his alleged ties to the church – partly because he appeared in a group photo in 2019 with Hak Ja Han, Moon's wife. The politician had confirmed it was him in the image, but said in parliament on Monday that his memory about "the photo with her... is unclear". He also previously disclosed that he joined an event organised by the church in 2018. "I deeply regret that my attendance at several meetings of the organisation has resulted in giving credit to the said organisation," Yamagiwa said. "After this was pointed out to me by an outside party, I had to follow up with explanations. As a result, it caused trouble for the government." Kishida said he accepted the minister's resignation and would announce a replacement on Tuesday. Yamagiwa said he planned to stay on as a lawmaker. (AFP)