The top bureaucrat at Japan’s finance minister quit Wednesday following allegations he sexually harassed female reporters, saying he wanted to « clear his name ». Junichi Fukuda has denied a magazine report he harassed several women, but calls for him to step aside have grown in recent days, and Finance Minister
The top bureaucrat at Japan’s finance minister quit Wednesday following allegations he sexually harassed female reporters, saying he wanted to « clear his name ».
Junichi Fukuda has denied a magazine report he harassed several women, but calls for him to step aside have grown in recent days, and Finance Minister Taro Aso said Wednesday that he had accepted the bureaucrat’s resignation.
« (He) offered his resignation saying that it was hard to continue to fulfil his responsibilities with the situation triggered by the reports, although he wants to clear his name, and I decided to accept this, » Aso told reporters.
The Shukan Shincho magazine last week reported that Fukuda had made inappropriate comments to several female journalists and on Friday released audio of what it said was the top bureaucrat at a bar with a reporter.
