Aso names Kaneko to take transport post

Prime Minister Taro Aso’s Cabinet suffered a serious blow Sunday with the resignation of transport minister Nariaki Nakayama, who was under fire for several gaffes, including saying Japan is “ethnically homogenous.”

Aso appointed former administrative reform minister Kazuyoshi Kaneko, 65, to succeed Nakayama.

Kaneko, a seven-term representative from the Gifu No. 4 district, served as state minister in charge of administrative reform from 2003 to 2004 under Junichiro Koizumi.

Nakayama stepped down from the post just four days after he was appointed as part of the new administration.

His miscues drew strong criticism from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito coalition as well as the opposition parties.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080929a1.html

Transport minister Nariaki Nakayama stepped down Sunday after just five days on the job, amid mounting criticism of a series of controversial remarks, dealing a serious blow to the new administration of Prime Minister Taro Aso.

Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) and other opposition parties, which had called for Nakayama’s resignation or dismissal, will hold Aso responsible for the appointment during Diet debate from Wednesday.

A string of remarks by Nakayama has drawn protest from the Japan Teachers Union, the Ainu Association of Hokkaido and the governor of Chiba Prefecture, among others.

Aso accepted Nakayama’s letter of resignation in a bid to contain the fallout, with the Lower House dissolution and election expected in the coming weeks.

Aso said Sunday that Nakayama’s remarks were “extremely inappropriate” and offered an apology. He also acknowledged his responsibility for Nakayama’s appointment.

In his constituency of Miyazaki, Nakayama, who served as education minister under former Prime Minister Jun-ichiro Koizumi, told reporters that the union was a “cancer on Japanese education.”

In a speech earlier in the day, Nakayama criticized the union’s opposition to mandatory raising of the Hinomaru national flag and singing of the Kimigayo national anthem at schools, and enforcing ethics education.

“We should disband the Japan Teachers Union one way or another,” Nakayama told a meeting organized by the LDP’s Miyazaki prefectural chapter. “If we borrow the style of Koizumi, ‘Let’s destroy the Japan Teachers Union,’ I will spearhead that movement.”

Nakayama also said that Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan), which is supported by the teachers and other unions, should be disbanded.

http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200809290053.html

Was he so overwhelmed at becoming a minister that he lost control of his tongue? On his second day as the new minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism, Nariaki Nakayama faced the media and let out a barrage of astounding verbal gaffes.

On the topic of foreign visitors to Japan, and asked how he plans to increase their numbers, he said, “Japan is a very inward-looking nation, you could say it is a homogeneous race …”

Only three months ago the Diet unanimously approved a historic resolution recognizing the Ainu as an indigenous people of Japan. It was supposed to have been the unified will of the Diet that pledged to protect the honor and dignity of the indigenous peoples, or was Nakayama opposed to it?

Nakayama retracted these comments, saying, they “led to misunderstandings.” However, his comments beg the question of his qualifications as a Diet lawmaker, not to mention as a Cabinet minister.

When he was education minister, Nakayama also was well-known for his gaffes, saying things like, “It is really good that history textbooks now have fewer references to comfort women and forced labor,” “there was no such term as comfort women to begin with.”

http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200809290039.html