Japan minister resigns over remark about 2011 tsunami
Japan’s disaster reconstruction minister resigned over his remark that « it was good » that the March 2011 quake and tsunami had hit northern Japan instead of areas closer to Tokyo.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe accepted Masahiro Imamura’s resignation Wednesday.
Imamura was replaced by Masayoshi Yoshino, former deputy environment minister from Fukushima, which was also hit by radiation leaks from a tsunami-hit nuclear power plant. Nobody died from radiation, but overall, the tsunami and the quake killed more than 18,000 people across northern Japan.
Imamura’s resignation comes a day after he made the remark in a speech at a ruling party reception, which Abe also attended.
« It was good that (the disaster) hit the Tohoku region, up there. There would have been a massive, enormous damage had it occurred closer to the capital region, » Imamura said, referring to reconstruction cost.
Imamura immediately retracted the comment and apologized, but Abe’s face reportedly froze.
He apologized again Wednesday for hurting the feelings of those in the disaster-hit northern Japan, but denied giving up his parliamentary seat.
