KUSHIRO, HOKKAIDO – An opposition lawmaker was expelled from his party Tuesday amid growing criticism over his remarks on the possibility of Japan waging war with Russia to regain control of a group of islands at the center of a territorial spat.
House of Representatives member Hodaka Maruyama on Tuesday submitted a letter of resignation to Nippon Ishin no Kai after he asked the head of a group of former residents of the islands whether he would support a war with Russia. Later in the day, the party decided to expel Maruyama rather than accept his resignation.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.