Japan's Olympics Minister, Yoshitaka Sakurada, has issued a public apology after arriving three minutes late to a parliamentary meeting on Thursday. The delay prompted opposition MPs to boycott a budget committee meeting for five hours in protest, arguing that his tardiness demonstrated a lack of respect for his office.
The incident is the latest in a series of gaffes that have dogged Mr Sakurada, who also serves as cyber-security minister. Last week, he faced criticism for expressing disappointment over Olympic hopeful Rikako Ikee's leukaemia diagnosis, saying he felt 'let down'—remarks he later retracted. In 2016, he described 'comfort women' forced into sexual slavery during wartime as 'professional prostitutes'.
Mr Sakurada also admitted last year that he had never used a computer, relying on subordinates for digital tasks. Despite lateness not being considered a major cultural faux pas in Japan, opposition parties have seized on the incident to highlight what they view as his incompetence.
A recent poll by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper found that 65% of respondents considered Mr Sakurada unsuitable for his role, with only 13% expressing support. His responsibilities include overseeing cyber-defence preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
