At a ceremony to mark her resignation as defense minister, Tomomi Inada on Monday called for the creation of an "open" atmosphere in the ministry and Self-Defense Forces but did not apologize for the cover-up scandal that brought her down.
Inada resigned on Friday after a one-year stint that was marred by gaffes and missteps. The direct reason for her resignation, which took place just days ahead of a looming Cabinet reshuffle, was the ministry's cover-up of Ground Self-Defense Force activity logs from the U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan in which she allegedly played a role.
Inada denied involvement in the cover-up but quit to take responsibility for the issue, which she said had "shaken public confidence" in the ministry and the SDF.