TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has decided to replace Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, amid mounting pressure from the ruling and opposition parties for him to resign over allegations that he failed to report more than 10 million yen ($70,000) in income from events hosted by his party faction, several sources close to the government told Nikkei.
Kishida initially defended Matsuno, one of the most influential ministers in his cabinet, but concluded his resignation was inevitable as the slush fund scandal worsened. Matsuno is an eight-time elected politician from Seiwaken, the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) largest faction, which was once led by Shinzo Abe, the late former prime minister. Kishida will now begin searching for a successor to Matsuno.
