Japan's defence minister resigned on Tuesday over remarks that appeared to accept the 1945 atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, attempting to quell the latest furore plaguing the ruling camp ahead of an election this month.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's support rates have already been slashed by outrage over government mishandling of pension records, and Defence Minister Fumio Kyuma's perceived gaffe has been adding to his headaches before the July 29 upper house poll.
"I regret that my comments have caused trouble. I am very sorry," Kyuma whose election district includes Nagasaki told reporters, adding that Abe had accepted his offer to resign.
Kyuma had apologised several times and Abe had tried to dampen criticism by reprimanding the 66-year-old minister, who said on Saturday the atomic bombings just days before Japan's surrender in World War Two "could not be helped".
But opposition parties, keen to press their advantage ahead of the election, had kept up pressure for him to resign. The scale was tipped when a prominent lawmaker in the ruling coalition's junior partner obliquely called for Kyuma to go.
"It is natural he should resign. The heavy responsibility of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has many problem cabinet ministers, remains for appointing him," Yukio Hatoyama, a senior leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, told reporters.
Kyuma is the second minister to resign since Abe took office in September, after a funding scandal felled a cabinet member of December. A scandal-tainted farm minister killed himself in May.
"It's a big blow to Abe. The problem for Abe is that his initial reaction was to try to defend him," said Gerry Curtis, a Columbia University political science professor. "I think the damage is pretty substantial. It's better for Abe that Kyuma resigns than not, but it's a bad story for Abe," Curtis added. "I still wouldn't predict the results of the election. If the voting rate is low, Abe can survive. But now there is a real chance he won't survive."
Another analyst, who declined to be identified, said voters' main concern remained the government bungling of pension records, a massive mix-up that could short-change retirees. Abe can ill afford any more furores ahead of the election.
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