The Liberal Democratic Party's own critics of Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto and his party leadership seem to be laying down their arms.
Former Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiroku Kajiyama, a key member of such hardline groups, relented March 16 and said he believes Hashimoto is the best man for the job under the current circumstances. His remark was made in Tokyo during a lecture to participants of the Yomiuri International Economic Society.
Former Construction Minister Shizuka Kamei, another vocal Hashimoto critic, said on the same day at a separate function that it is up to the prime minister to decide his own destiny. Kamei's remark came during a lecture to members of the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan and departs from demands he made earlier this month for Hashimoto to step down over the current state of the economy.