Japan official dismissed over visit to expensive club defying coronavirus emergency

TOKYO: A Japanese vice education minister has been dismissed from his Cabinet post over his recent visit at an expensive Tokyo hostess club, defying an ongoing coronavirus state of emergency.

Taido Tanose told reporters Monday that Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga reprimanded and dismissed him as vice education minister over the hostess bar visit.

He then submitted his resignation from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, along with two other senior LDP lawmakers who were clubbing with him, including former National Public Safety Commission chief Jun Matsumoto who stepped down from a top party post last week in the scandal.

Earlier Monday, another senior lawmaker, Kiyohiko Toyama, announced his resignation as legislator to take responsibility for a separate Tokyo hostess club visit last month.

He belongs to Komeito, a junior partner of Suga's ruling coalition.

The four lawmakers defied an ongoing coronavirus state of emergency request for the people to restrain nightlife and bar visits, and for restaurants to close early.

Suga on January 7 placed the Tokyo region -- and added seven other urban prefectures a week later -- under a state of emergency through February 7.

Suga came under sharp criticism for joining seven other guests at a steak dinner in mid-December when his government was urging people not to dine out in groups.

Suga has been criticised for delaying virus measures due to his apparent reluctance to further hurt the pandemic-hit businesses.

Japan had almost 390,000 cases and about 5,700 deaths as of Sunday, the health ministry said.