Japan's Lower House chief on Tuesday denied accusations of inappropriate ties with the Unification Church, but refused to publicly discuss the issues surrounding the religious group that have dampened the popularity of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet.
On the second day of the ordinary parliamentary session that began Monday, House of Representatives Speaker Hiroyuki Hosoda held talks with ruling and opposition lawmakers to answer questions on his connections with the Unification Church.
Hosoda, 78, who formerly headed the largest intraparty faction within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, was quoted by the lawmakers as saying that he had not received any political requests from the religious organization and that he does not feel "guilty."