Japanese vice minister resigns over tax scandal in another setback for Kishida’s unpopular Cabinet

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese vice finance minister stepped down on Monday amid criticisms from Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Cabinet after admitting his company’s repeated failures to pay taxes. It was a further setback to Kishida’s unpopular government. Deputy Finance Minister Kenji Kanda, who was in charge of government bonds and monetary policy, is the third member of Kishida’s Cabinet to resign within two months following a Cabinet shuffle in September. Despite the change, apparently intended to renew the image of the government, support for Kishida’s Cabinet has kept dwindling and recent media surveys showed approval ratings falling below 30%.