A senior member of the ruling coalition offered to quit the Diet Monday after angering the public by visiting a Tokyo hostess bar despite government calls to avoid unnecessary outings under a state of emergency to rein in the spread of the coronavirus.
Kiyohiko Toyama, former acting secretary-general of Komeito, the junior coalition partner of the Liberal Democratic Party, has admitted to visiting a hostess bar in Tokyo's Ginza district late at night on Jan. 22.
The visit triggered an outcry from the public, who have in particular been requested to refrain from outings in the evening under the state of emergency, which is in effect in the capital and other areas.