Japan PM Kishida Fires Son After Photos Of 'Inappropriate' Private Party At Official Residence Emerge

Days after massive backlash on the photographs of an 'inappropriate' party of his son at the official residence, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida has fired his son as executive secretary.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has fired his eldest son Shotaro Kishida as his executive secretary after the latter’s inappropriate photographs taken at the premier's official residence during a family function last year attracted massive public outcry, reported Japan Today. As per a report by The Guardian, photos published by the Shukan Bunshun weekly magazine showed Kishida’s son and his relatives posing or lying on the symbolically important red-carpeted stairs of the residence. 

They lied imitating a of group photos of newly appointed cabinets. The report mentioned that Kishida’s eldest son was at the centre – the position reserved for the prime minister.  

As per Japan Today, ahead of the closure of the ongoing parliamentary session on June 21, Kishida decided to sack his son in an attempt to minimise damage to his administration as several important bills are still under deliberation. 

Kishida told reporters that he decided to fire his son as the three-day G7 summit in Hiroshima had concluded on May 21. 

"Of course, the responsibility for the appointment lies with me. I take it seriously," Kishida said, adding, "I want to fulfill my duties by addressing challenges that cannot be postponed and moving forward with determination," as quoted by Japan Today. 

"As secretary for [the prime minister’s] political affairs, a public position, his actions were inappropriate and I decided to replace him to have him take responsibility," Kishida said on Monday night, as quoted by The Guardian. He added his son would be replaced with another secretary, Takayoshi Yamamoto, on Thursday. 

The chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno had earlier called the Shotaro’s party at the official residence “inappropriate”. 

As per the reports, Shotaro Kishida has been a repeated source of trouble for the prime minister since he was made the executive secretary in October. 

The Guardian reported that Kishida’s son was earlier reprimanded for using embassy cars for private sightseeing in Britain and Paris and for going shopping for souvenirs for cabinet members at a luxury department store in London when he accompanied his father on trips. 

Japan Today stated that earlier this month, a weekly magazine reported he had posed for photographs with relatives on a staircase and in other symbolically important parts of the residence in a manner seen as disrespectful, prompting the government to say the actions "lacked appropriateness."