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On January 6, Prime Minister and DPJ President Yukio Hatoyama responded to reporters’ questions, revealing that Minister of Finance Hirohisa Fujii had tendered his resignation along with a doctor’s report on the afternoon of that same day. He said, “There is nothing to be done about health problems, and so I had to accept his resignation.”
Following this, Hatoyama stated that he had invited Deputy Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Minister of State for Government Revitalization Yoshihito Sengoku to the Prime Minister’s Office, and had asked Kan to take on the role of Minister of Finance in addition to that of Deputy Prime Minister and Sengoku to take on the additional duties of overseeing the National Policy Bureau, taking over from Kan, and that both had agreed to this. He added that “I also asked Deputy Prime Minister Kan to continue in his role as Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy,” and that Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Tatsuo Kawabata would also take on the role of Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy.
With regard to Fujii’s state of health, Hatoyama said, “He showed me the doctor’s report, and it stated that it would be difficult for him to continue to fulfil his public responsibilities as a minister. I believed it necessary to take the doctor’s judgement seriously.”
Hatoyama revealed he had told Fujii on the previous day that “he had been instrumental in the creation of the budget and therefore I hoped that he would be able to oversee its successful development,” but that Fujii had replied “I certainly wish to be able to do that. I will do every thing I can to help with matters relating to public finance, but I just ask that [you allow me to resign] the post of minister.”
When asked about the aim of the reallocation of posts following the resignation, Hatoyama said it went without saying that Minister Fujii had made great efforts with regard to the budget, but it was also widely recognized that Deputy Prime Minister Kan had played a leading role in supporting his efforts, and that Fujii was also of this opinion. He added that since “there is a requirement for the holder of this post to be active internationally as well, and thus I believe that it is most appropriate for Deputy Prime Minister Kan to also take on this role.”
Hatoyama was asked by a reporter about the damage that Fujii’s resignation would have on the government. He responded, “In order to keep damage to the minimum, I have appointed the person who has been most closely involved in creating the budget as his successor. I believe that Deputy Prime Minister Kan is fully capable of carrying out this role, and therefore I am not concerned about this.”
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