House of Representatives lawmaker Mio Sugita of ruling Liberal Democratic Party has come under fire again over comments related to the country's Ainu indigenous people.
In a YouTube broadcast by a conservative magazine, Sugita claimed that those involved in a government project related to Ainu culture are indulging in public subsidies, referring to allegations of misappropriation.
In December last year, Sugita was effectively sacked as parliamentary vice minister for internal affairs and communications for her past discriminatory remarks.
In September this year, the Sapporo Legal Affairs Bureau found that her blog post about the Ainu people in 2016 violated their human rights. The Osaka Legal Affairs Bureau has also issued a similar judgment.
In the YouTube broadcast, Sugita suggested that she chose to leave the senior government post, rather than apologize for her remarks in question.
Opposition parties are questioning the LDP's responsibility for Sugita's controversial remarks.
"This is no longer an individual's problem, but the LDP's problem," Social Democratic Party head Mizuho Fukushima told a press conference.
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan policy chief Akira Nagatsuma criticized Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, also president of the LDP, for failing to respond to the matter. "I can't believe that the prime minister does not warn her or urge her (to explain the matter)," Nagatsuma said at a separate press conference.