Abe backs beleaguered regulatory reform Minister Kitamura

February 12, 2020

Tokyo--Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday backed regulatory reform minister Seigo Kitamura, who has been criticized for causing confusion in parliament by failing to answer questions properly.

"Kitamura has steadily carried out his duties," Abe told a House of Representatives Budget Committee meeting. "I want him to continue filling the role."

Kitamura, also in charge of public records and archive management, could not properly answer questions from opposition lawmakers on records related to controversial annual cherry blossom-viewing parties hosted by the prime minister.

Also at Wednesday's meeting, Abe denied his alleged links with an executive of multilevel-marketing company 48Holdings Inc. who reportedly attended the party. The Sapporo-based company was slapped with a business suspension order in 2017.

"I checked on that, but I don't know," Abe said, adding that his wife, Akie, also said she had never met the executive.

According to media reports, the executive used a photograph taken with Abe and his wife at a party held on the eve of the 2016 cherry blossom party to solicit customers for the company's business.

"It's not certain where the photo was taken," Abe said. Jiji Press