Issues related to the Unification Church have led to the resignation of Cabinet minister Daishiro Yamagiwa, following a series of revelations about his connections to the group.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida decided to effectively oust Yamagiwa as economic revitalization minister amid strong concerns that the issue could cause even more damage to his administration. However, in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party that Kishida leads, there has been criticism that the prime minister's belated response has deepened the wound.
"I have received a resignation request and have accepted it," Kishida said to reporters after a meeting with Yamagiwa at the Prime Minister's Office on Monday night.
