Japanese PM reshuffles cabinet in ‘damage control’ area amid Unification Church outrage

By Elaine Lies and Yoshifumi Takemoto

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will reshuffle his cabinet, removing several ministers with ties to the Unification Church in a bid to stem falling support amid growing public outrage. about the ruling party’s relationship with the controversial group.

Kishida, in office since October last year, will announce his new government team late Wednesday in a reshuffle that comes earlier than analysts expected.

But in the month since former prime minister Shinzo Abe was shot down, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)’s longstanding ties to the church have popped up in polls showing approval ratings falling as a responsibility. growing responsibility towards Kishida. Abe’s suspected killer has said his mother was a church member who went bankrupt due to donating to it, and blamed Abe for promoting it.

That has given the Japanese public a rare focus on the group, which critics have called a cult, with lawmakers from the conservative LDP previously appearing at events run by church affiliates. sponsor. The issue has sent Kishida’s public approval rating below 50%, the lowest level since he became prime minister.

“He’s basically damage control,” said political commentator Atsuo Ito. “What people are really following is the Unification Church.”

The religious group itself will hold a rare press conference with foreign media later on Wednesday.

Kishida is expected to remove some members from his cabinet, according to Japanese media reports, with Mainichi newspaper saying up to seven members could be replaced. Some cabinet members have publicly disclosed church connections, such as speaking at events by church-affiliated organizations.

Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, Abe’s brother, will leave the cabinet, although local media have said it is due to his health problems.

Kishi has previously said that members of the Unification Church worked on his election campaigns. Media said he will be replaced by Yasukazu Hamada, who previously held the position.

Koichi Hagiuda, the commerce minister, will become the head of the LDP’s policy research council, a heavyweight job. That appointment was seen as an attempt to appease members of Abe’s faction, the party’s largest faction.

Hagiuda has publicly admitted to attending an event organized by a church-related group.

Shunichi Suzuki, currently finance minister, will remain in his post, government and LDP sources told Reuters on Tuesday, while multiple media reports said Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Chief of Staff Cabinet room Hirokazu Matsuno will also stay.

Kishida, who says he has no ties to the Unification Church, said new cabinet members and party officials will have to “closely examine” their links to the group, a sign that he wants to strictly implement.

He was originally scheduled to reshuffle his cabinet in September, but that came as his support dwindled.

In the latest public opinion poll, his support has dropped to 46 percent from 59 percent just three weeks ago, public broadcaster NHK said on Monday.