Japan minister visits Yasukuni

Japan minister visits Yasukuni

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Cabinet minister Yoshitaka Shindo answers reporters' questions after visiting Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Jan. 1, 2014. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a surprise visit to the Shinto shrine on Dec. 26, 2013, sparking sharp criticism from Japan's Asian neighbors and disappointing the United States.

Japan minister visits Yasukuni

Japan minister visits Yasukuni

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Cabinet minister Yoshitaka Shindo visits Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Jan. 1, 2014. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a surprise visit to the Shinto shrine on Dec. 26, 2013, sparking sharp criticism from Japan's Asian neighbors and disappointing the United States.

Year's 1st Cabinet meeting

Year's 1st Cabinet meeting

TOKYO, Japan - (From L) Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Yoshitaka Shindo, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga attend the first Cabinet meeting of the year at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Jan. 8, 2013. Reporters were permitted to photograph the meeting, only at the outset, the second such time after the completion of the building of the Japanese premier's new office in 2002. (Pool photo)

Abe Cabinet

Abe Cabinet

TOKYO, Japan - Yoshitaka Shindo enters the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Dec. 26, 2012, after being named internal affairs minister by Shinzo Abe, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, who took office as Japan's new prime minister the same day.

Aquamarine Fukushima reopens

Aquamarine Fukushima reopens

IWAKI, Japan - Yoshitaka Abe (R), director of Aquamarine Fukushima, unveils the name of a harbor seal pup at the reopening ceremony of the aquarium in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, on July 15, 2011. The aquarium had been closed since the March 11 tsunami. Kazutoshi Arai (L), director of Kamogawa Seaworld in Chiba Prefecture where the seal pup was born, also attended the ceremony.

Aquamarine Fukushima reopens

Aquamarine Fukushima reopens

IWAKI, Japan - Yoshitaka Abe (R), director of Aquamarine Fukushima, unveils the name of a harbor seal pup at the reopening ceremony of the aquarium in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, on July 15, 2011. The aquarium had been closed since the March 11 tsunami. Kazutoshi Arai (L), director of Kamogawa Seaworld in Chiba Prefecture where the seal pup was born, also attended the ceremony. (Kyodo)

New Japanese Olympic minister Suzuki

New Japanese Olympic minister Suzuki

New Japanese Olympics minister Shunichi Suzuki (C) shakes hands with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on April 11, 2019. Suzuki took the post earlier in the day, replacing Yoshitaka Sakurada, who was forced to resign the previous day in the wake of his remarks deemed offensive to people in disaster-hit northeastern Japan. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

New Japanese Olympic minister Suzuki

New Japanese Olympic minister Suzuki

New Japanese Olympics minister Shunichi Suzuki (L) poses for a photo with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on April 11, 2019. Suzuki replaced Yoshitaka Sakurada, who was forced to resign the previous day in the wake of his remarks deemed offensive to people in disaster-hit northeastern Japan. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Japan's new Olympic minister Suzuki

Japan's new Olympic minister Suzuki

House of Representatives lawmaker Shunichi Suzuki speaks to reporters after a meeting with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on April 11, 2019. Suzuki is set to become Olympic minister after Yoshitaka Sakurada resigned the previous day over remarks he made that were deemed offensive to people in 2011 disaster-hit northeastern Japan. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Japan's new Olympic minister Suzuki

Japan's new Olympic minister Suzuki

House of Representatives lawmaker Shunichi Suzuki speaks to reporters after a meeting with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on April 11, 2019. Suzuki is set to become Olympic minister after Yoshitaka Sakurada resigned the previous day over remarks he made that were deemed offensive to people in 2011 disaster-hit northeastern Japan. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Japan's new Olympic minister Suzuki

Japan's new Olympic minister Suzuki

House of Representatives lawmaker Shunichi Suzuki speaks to reporters after a meeting with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on April 11, 2019. Suzuki is set to become Olympic minister after Yoshitaka Sakurada resigned the previous day over remarks he made that were deemed offensive to people in 2011 disaster-hit northeastern Japan. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Abe on resignation of Olympic minister

Abe on resignation of Olympic minister

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks to reporters at his office in Tokyo on April 11, 2019, about the resignation of Olympic minister Yoshitaka Sakurada over a series of gaffes. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Abe on resignation of Olympic minister

Abe on resignation of Olympic minister

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks to reporters at his office in Tokyo on April 11, 2019, about the resignation of Olympic minister Yoshitaka Sakurada over a series of gaffes. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Abe on resignation of Olympic minister

Abe on resignation of Olympic minister

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks to reporters at his office in Tokyo on April 11, 2019, about the resignation of Olympic minister Yoshitaka Sakurada over a series of gaffes. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Abe on resignation of Olympic minister

Abe on resignation of Olympic minister

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks to reporters at his office in Tokyo on April 11, 2019, about the resignation of Olympic minister Yoshitaka Sakurada over a series of gaffes. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Abe on resignation of Olympic minister

Abe on resignation of Olympic minister

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks to reporters at his office in Tokyo on April 11, 2019, about the resignation of Olympic minister Yoshitaka Sakurada over a series of gaffes. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Japan's gaffe-prone Olympics minister resigns

Japan's gaffe-prone Olympics minister resigns

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe meets the press in Tokyo on April 10, 2019, after receiving a letter of resignation from Olympics minister Yoshitaka Sakurada over a series of gaffes. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Japan's gaffe-prone Olympics minister resigns

Japan's gaffe-prone Olympics minister resigns

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe meets the press in Tokyo on April 10, 2019, after receiving a letter of resignation from Olympics minister Yoshitaka Sakurada over a series of gaffes. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Japan's gaffe-prone Olympics minister resigns

Japan's gaffe-prone Olympics minister resigns

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe meets the press in Tokyo on April 10, 2019, after receiving a letter of resignation from Olympics minister Yoshitaka Sakurada over a series of gaffes. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Japan's gaffe-prone Olympics minister resigns

Japan's gaffe-prone Olympics minister resigns

Japan's Olympics minister Yoshitaka Sakurada meets the press in Tokyo on April 10, 2019, after offering a letter of resignation to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to take the blame for a series of gaffes. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Japan's gaffe-prone Olympics minister resigns

Japan's gaffe-prone Olympics minister resigns

Japan's Olympics minister Yoshitaka Sakurada meets the press in Tokyo on April 10, 2019, after offering a letter of resignation to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to take the blame for a series of gaffes. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Japan's gaffe-prone Olympics minister resigns

Japan's gaffe-prone Olympics minister resigns

Japan's Olympics minister Yoshitaka Sakurada meets the press in Tokyo on April 10, 2019, after offering a letter of resignation to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to take the blame for a series of gaffes. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo