Yasuhiko Taniwaki, a senior official with close ties to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga who was removed from his post at the communications ministry for attending expensive dinners paid for by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp., will retire at the end of the month, the top government spokesman said Tuesday.
Taniwaki, 60, played a pivotal role in helping Suga fulfill a promise to lower mobile phone fees and his departure deals another blow to the prime minister, whose public support ratings have taken a hit after a series of scandals involving officials and criticism of the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Taniwaki was originally scheduled to retire at age 62, as his position as a vice minister for policy coordination allowed him to stay on beyond 60, the retirement age for regular central government officials.