LDP committee chair to resign over ‘fortunate' quake remark
Yosuke Tsuruho, 58, has already submitted his resignation letter to the LDP's Upper House speaker, according to a senior party member.
But Tsuruho earlier denied he would vacate his Upper House seat or leave the party, saying, 'At present, I am not thinking that far.'
Tsuruho made the offensive comment in a speech in support of an LDP candidate for the Upper House election in Wakayama on July 8.
He said efforts to create 'two-region lifestyles,' in which people can have two different bases of living, had progressed after the Noto Peninsula Earthquake on New Year's Day last year.
'Fortunately, there was an earthquake in Noto,' he said.
Tsuruho was criticized as insensitive by disaster victims as well as ruling and opposition party members. He also received a stern warning from Hiroshi Moriyama, the LDP secretary-general.
Tsuruho issued a statement of apology and retracted the statement later on July 8.
'I did not mean to imply that the Noto region was lucky to have been hit by the disaster,' he said. 'I deeply regret my lack of consideration for the victims and my inadequate words, and I apologize and withdraw my comment.'
He also held a news conference on the following day to apologize.
Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, criticized Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba over the Tsuruho incident.
After Tsuruho's decision to resign became known, Noda told reporters on July 12: 'There was a sense that he left (the matter) to the Upper House and LDP leaders. It is regrettable that we did not see any leadership from (Ishiba).'
Tetsuo Saito, leader of Komeito, the LDP's junior coalition partner, said, 'It is only natural that (Tsuruho) should resign' from the post.
'Considering the seriousness of what he said, he should have made a decision earlier,' Saito said.
Tsuruho was first elected to the Upper House in 1998 in the Wakayama prefectural district. He is currently serving his fifth term in the Diet chamber.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
.JPG%3Fwidth%3D780%26fit%3Dcover%26gravity%3Dfaces%26dpr%3D2%26quality%3Dmedium%26source%3Dnar-cms%26format%3Dauto&w=3840&q=100)
Nikkei Asia
an hour ago
- Nikkei Asia
Japan's 30-year bond yield hits record high ahead of key election
Bonds Market weighing risk of defeat of LDP-led coalition Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's government has seen its approval ratings slide as the rising cost of living, including the soaring price of Japan's staple rice, hits households. © Reuters TOKYO (Reuters) -- Japan's 30-year government bond fell on Tuesday, with the yield hitting a record high, on concerns about the nation's fiscal health ahead of a closely monitored national election at the end of this week. The 30-year JGB yield touched an all-time high of 3.195%, before easing to 3.18%, up 2.5 basis points (bps) from the previous session.
Japan Today
2 hours ago
- Japan Today
Asian shares mostly finish higher although worries continue over Trump's tariffs
A currency trader works near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top center, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, July 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) By YURI KAGEYAMA Asian shares were mostly higher in Tuesday trading, despite lingering worries about President Donald Trump's latest updates to his tariffs that weighed on investor sentiments. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.6% to finish at 39,678.02. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.7% to 8,630.30. South Korea's Kospi edged up 0.4% to 3,215.28. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.9% to 24,423.87, while the Shanghai Composite dipped 0.4% to 3,505.00, after the Chinese government reported that growth slowed in the last quarter as Trump's trade war escalated. Tuesday's data showed the economy expanded at a robust 5.2% annual pace, compared with 5.4% annual growth in January-March. In quarterly terms, the world's second-largest economy expanded by 1.1%, according to government data. Despite worries about the damage Trump's tariffs may have on the region's exporters, speculation continues that he may ultimately back down on them. They don't take effect until Aug. 1, which leaves time for more negotiations. On Wall Street Monday, the S&P 500 edged up by 0.1%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.2% and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.3%. A nationwide election for the upper house of Japan's Parliament, set for Sunday, also added to the wait-and-see attitude among market players. Analysts say the ruling pro-business Liberal Democratic Party may face an uphill battle and will likely need coalition partners, including possibly new ones, to keep its grip on power. If Trump were to enact all his proposed tariffs on Aug. 1, they would raise the risk of a recession. That would not only hurt American consumers but also raise the pressure on the U.S. government's debt level relative to the economy's size, particularly after Washington approved big tax cuts that will add to the deficit. 'We therefore believe that the administration is using this latest round of tariff escalation to maximize its negotiating leverage and that it will ultimately de-escalate, especially if there is a new bout of heightened bond and stock market volatility,' according to Ulrike Hoffmann-Burchardi, global head of equities at UBS Global Wealth Management. 'As usual, there are many conditions and clauses that can get these rates reduced,' said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. 'That's probably why the market might not like the tariff talk, but it's not panicking about it either.' For the time being, the uncertainty around tariffs could help keep markets unsteady. This upcoming week has several potential flashpoints that could shake things up. The latest reading on inflation across the U.S. comes Tuesday, with economists expecting it to show inflation accelerated to 2.6% last month from 2.4% in May. Companies are also lining up to report how they performed during the spring. JPMorgan Chase and several other huge banks will report their latest quarterly results Tuesday, followed by Johnson & Johnson on Wednesday and PepsiCo on Thursday. Fastenal, a distributor of industrial and construction supplies, reported Monday a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Its stock rose 2.9%, though it also said that market conditions remain sluggish. Shares of Kenvue rose 2.3% in shaky trading after the former division of Johnson & Johnson said CEO Thibaut Mongon is stepping down. Kenvue, the maker of Listerine and Band-Aid brands, is in the midst of a strategic review of its options, 'including ways to simplify the company's portfolio and how it operates,' according to board chair Larry Merlo. Some of the biggest moves in financial markets were for crypto, where bitcoin continues to set records. This upcoming week is Crypto Week in Washington, where Congress will consider several bills to 'make America the crypto capital of the world.' In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude fell 50 cents to $66.48 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, declined 41 cents to $68.80 a barrel. In currency trading, the U.S. dollar inched up to 147.73 Japanese yen from 147.72 yen. The euro cost $1.1677, up from $1.1666. AP Business Writer Stan Choe contributed to this report. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Japan Times
4 hours ago
- Japan Times
Japan launches government body to address concerns over foreign nationals
Japan on Tuesday set up an administrative body aimed at easing citizens' concerns over the rapid rise in the number of foreign nationals in the country in recent years, as policies concerning non-Japanese residents emerge as a key issue in Sunday's national election. The body will serve as a cross-agency "control tower" to respond to issues such as crime and overtourism involving foreign nationals, the government said. Japan has long sought to maintain a homogeneous population through strict immigration laws, but has gradually eased them to supplement its shrinking and aging labor force. The number of foreign nationals hit a record of about 3.8 million last year, although that is still just 3% of the total population. The formation of the administration body comes after a group of lawmakers in Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party in June proposed measures to realize a "society of orderly and harmonious coexistence with foreign nationals." Those measures included adopting stricter requirements for foreign nationals switching to a Japanese driver's license and for buying real estate properties. "Crimes and disorderly conduct by some foreign nationals, as well as the inappropriate use of various administrative systems, have created a situation in which the public feels uneasy and cheated," Ishiba said at a kickoff ceremony. Concerns over the influx of foreign nationals, both temporary and permanent, have resonated with voters, with opinion polls showing a rapid surge in the popularity of tiny populist party Sanseito, which advocates a "Japanese First" agenda. Public opinion polls show the LDP and its junior coalition partner Komeito are in jeopardy of losing their majority in the Upper House election this coming Sunday.
