Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Opening Statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Fujimura

• An overview of the Cabinet meeting
• The awarding of the National Honor Award to Ms. Saori Yoshida from women's wrestling

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: I would first like to give an overview of the Cabinet meeting. The meeting approved two general measures, cabinet orders, and personnel decisions. With regard to statements by ministers, I made a statement concerning the awarding of the National Honor Award to Ms. Saori Yoshida.

In ministerial discussions following the Cabinet meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Okada, the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and the Minister of the Environment made statements, respectively, concerning personnel quotas in FY2013.

Next, I would like to speak about the awarding of the National Honor Award to Ms. Saori Yoshida. Today, the Prime Minister decided to present a National Honor Award to Ms. Saori Yoshida. The award honors Ms. Saori Yoshida for accomplishing an unprecedented feat in competitive wrestling, winning 13 consecutive world titles at the World Championships and the Olympics as a result of her daily training and efforts, as well as for her remarkable achievement in paving the way for women's sports, deeply inspiring many people in Japan and giving society bright hope and courage. The award ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Prime Minister's Office on Wednesday, November 7.

Q&As

• The resignation of Minister of Justice and Minister for the Abduction Issue Tanaka

REPORTER: At today's Cabinet meeting, what was the Prime Minister's explanation regarding the resignation of Minister of Justice Tanaka?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: The Prime Minister briefly explained earlier that the Minister submitted a letter of resignation, that he was hospitalized due to ill health and that tests revealed the Minister required treatment for several symptoms, and that therefore it was with great regret that the Prime Minister accepted the letter of resignation.

REPORTER: Regarding the resignation of Minister of Justice Tanaka, a variety of issues have risen to the surface, including his ties to an organized crime syndicate. In your opinion, was his ill heath the only reason for his resignation?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: According to the Minister, that was the sole reason for submitting the letter of resignation. Concerning the report in a weekly magazine, I understand that the Minister, through a lawyer, will be lodging a protest to and seeking corrections from the magazine company.

REPORTER: What is your view on Prime Minister Noda's responsibility for appointing a Minister of Justice and Minister for the Abduction Issue who resigned after such a short time in office?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: It was the Minister who made the judgment about his health, and I do not believe this is linked to responsibility for the appointment.

REPORTER: Is my understanding correct then that you believe the Prime Minister is not responsible for appointing Minister Tanaka?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: I believe responsibility for the appointment is not directly related to the Minister's resignation for health reasons.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: I believe there are people who are very much questioning why such a person was ultimately selected. Can you say that there was absolutely nothing wrong with the personnel decision?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: I believe you are asking this question because you believe everything which was reported in the weekly magazine is true. However, the matters reported need to be fully clarified. The Minister has stated that because so much of the report deviates from the facts, he will lodge a protest and seek corrections regarding the weekly magazine report. Due to the nature of the issue at hand, a careful explanation may be necessary. The reason for the resignation is based on medical tests. While I will not disclose their contents, I understand that it would be difficult for the Minister to carry out his duties.

REPORTER: Regarding a related matter, with the Minister resigning, what is the schedule for appointing his successor ahead of the extraordinary Diet session?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: The letter of resignation was accepted today. In order to minimize the period of vacancy as much as possible, we are resolved to make a swift appointment under the guidance of the Prime Minister.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: I would like to ask a question about the letter of resignation. You said that the letter of resignation was accepted. However, how was the letter dealt with or handled at today's Cabinet meeting? Also, I would like to confirm through whom the letter was delivered and to whom it was addressed.

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: Regarding your first question, the Prime Minister, the appointer, accepted the letter of resignation. Regarding your second question, the Private Secretary to the Minister of Justice from the Ministry of Justice brought the letter to me on behalf of Minister Tanaka this morning at 9 am I believe. I then presented the letter to the Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister accepted the letter.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: Regarding the abduction issue, the successor will become the eighth person to become the Minister for the Abduction Issue. How do you feel about whether this will or will not have any impact on the resolution of the abduction issue?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: Minister Tanaka himself has stated that he finds it deeply regrettable to not be able to meet the expectations of the victims on this milestone year of the 10th anniversary of the repatriation of five abductees to Japan. I believe the Minister has expressed his regrets to the victims. However, it remains unchanged that the Government will continue to consistently make strides on the abduction issue, treating it as a vital issue.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: You have said that this is a health issue, and it is beyond anyone's control. Nevertheless, during the course of just over three weeks since his appointment, Minister Tanaka has admitted his ties to an organized crime syndicate. It has also come to light that he received financial contributions from a company managed by a non-Japanese national, and moreover, he has skipped Diet deliberations. These matters have caused persistent turmoil. How does the administration see this situation?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: With regard to the weekly magazine report which I also touched upon earlier, the Minister has admitted parts of the report. This may be a matter which took place around 30 years ago. However, because so much of what was reported deviates from the facts, the Minister has stated that he will lodge a protest to and seek corrections from the magazine company. With regard to the issue of financial contributions, this will be carefully examined and reported at a later date. I believe these matters and the Minister's ill health are hardly directly related.

(Abridged)

REPORTER: In relation to this, did the Government or the Prime Minister's Office not have prior knowledge about whether or not Minister Tanaka had any health problems at the time of his appointment? Also, was there no kind of advance report or mention about the problems from the Minister?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY FUJIMURA: It was determined that there were no problems with his health. The Minister did not declare that he had any preexisting illnesses and so on.

(Abridged)