Following the dramatic resignation of blunder-prone Olympics and cybersecurity minister Yoshitaka Sakurada, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reappointed Shunichi Suzuki, his immediate predecessor, to the portfolio Thursday, a quick-fix measure experts said was meant to minimize damage ahead of a series of key elections.
On Wednesday, Sakurada submitted a letter of resignation to Abe, saying a remark he made earlier in the day deeply offended the people suffering from the 2011 quake and tsunami disasters in the Tohoku region.
However, it is widely believed it was Abe who effectively fired Sakurada, who has repeatedly made headlines by making gaffes that have significantly damaged the reputation of Abe's administration.