A Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker was suspended as head of a party committee for meeting with anti-Japan demonstrators in South Korea, DPJ officials said.
DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada said Friday that the House of Councilors member, Tomiko Okazaki, will be replaced by Sayuri Kamata, vice chairwoman of the committee. Okazaki, head of the party's National Rallying and Canvassing Committee, represents Miyagi Prefecture.
Okada told a press conference that when Okazaki visited South Korea earlier this month, she met with former sex slaves of the wartime Japanese military. The former comfort women were staging an anti-Japanese rally when Okazaki told them that a bill to resolve the issue was being discussed by Japanese lawmakers.
She was subsequently criticized by members of both the ruling and opposition parties, who claimed it was "inappropriate" for a Japanese politician to visit an anti-Japanese demonstration.
Okazaki received warnings Friday morning from senior House of Councilors members of the DPJ. She then phoned Okada to ask for permission to temporarily leave her post, saying she wanted to take responsibility for her "carelessness," according to Okada.