The government's handling of the glitch-ridden My Number card system has continued to attract attention in the political center of Nagatacho amid a severe drop in approval ratings and rising speculation over a possible Cabinet reshuffle in the upcoming months.
Another faux pas in managing the fallout from the debacle could deal a further blow to the administration of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and jeopardize the political standing of digital minister Taro Kono.
Since the start of the flare-up in early spring, Kishida has largely left the digital agency and Kono at the mercy of public scrutiny. So far, the digital minister has handled the criticism poorly, appearing short-tempered when answering questions about the malfunctions.