Inada resigns; Defense Ministry probe denies her role in data coverup

Took long enough...seriously, she should have quit before she started!

It's going to be interesting to see just how Abe reshuffles his cabinet. Will he put those who are the most serious threat to him to succeed him in positions of importance, or will he choose some lackey that has no experience and will cause him more headaches into new positions, or will he pick some popular guy, like Koizumi, to take heat off of him.

Better to keep your friends close, but enemies closer still!

time to find another quota filler woman from a good university who has no people skills or practical knowledge

She'll be missed like a bad case of herpes.

Its hard to believe that shes little more than the one who taking the fall from the scandal.

In a country whos military is as closely watched and would make international news if they even fired a weapon, the JSDF operating under another pretext is a big deal.

Who will he choose indeed. You would think a qualified person, but Abe wants someone who shares his views and so he is limited to the 38,000 or so members of Nippon Kaigi and with such a limited gene pool to choose from, we’ll end up again with someone like this dumb goose Inada.

At last...I'm so tired of seeing her on TV everyday...

Abesan sure knows how to pick top performers and all around winners!!

surprised he hasn't resigned again!

Inada was a loose cannon and liability from the start.

I particularly cringed when she walked all over the fuselage of an F-35 in high heels. The look of horror on the face of the accompanying airman as he was sweating bullets, not knowing what to say....

Japan needs a Defense Minister that actually understands military hardware and organization structure.

In that respect, former army ranger Nakatani and military buff Ishiba were much better.

Well, Nakatani and Ishiba are both prominent members of Nippon Kaigi, so they will surely be considered bu Abe.

How did this lawyer with a questionable past and no academic nor technical background ever become

a defense minister? Politics as usual. This is another reason why Japan is unprepared to compete in

world affairs in the future because in a couple of decades it will have no human resources nor expertise to put forth.

How did this lawyer with a questionable past and no academic nor technical background ever become a defense minister?

People said the same thing about Obama. No professional, economic, or military experience, he never even managed a shift at McDonalds. Bush? Being his father's son, he was given titles and an income by those who the senior Bush had favored during his career in politics. Bush junior rode his father's coat tails into the governorship of Texas, and took advantage of his father's influence in the party to become it's candidate, and the country's president. In politics is is not what you know, but who you know. And appearance is more important than substance. Abe has the two important qualifications a politician needs, a name, and a full head of hair.

Ah, the old, "You can't fire me... I quit!" tactic. The woman is a menace, but sadly she'll have a guaranteed amakudari role in government, and if all goes as usual a shot at the PM's chair despite resigning in disgrace. In fact, that's a necessary "qualification" these days. I've read that Aso is looking at becoming PM again in 2018! No joke!!

sangetsu03Today  09:05 am JST

Abe has the two important qualifications a politician needs, a name, and a full head of hair.

Not to mention a local support organisation passed down through the Abe-Kishi family to provide him with votes and election campaign cash.

What took her so long?

Ah, the hand-on-heart pose for the anthem. Deeply moving or you're a bit backward and need help with your emotions.

What next? A Pledge of Allegiance?

@ The_true

"What took her so long?"

If i were to hazard a guess, too much pride, arrogance and a large portion of entitlement. She's not the only one either.

Gone, and soon to be forgotten.

Good riddance. One of the most incompetent people to ever hold a position of power in recent history in Japan. Her incompetence is so deep and complete, that her appointment in the first place raises deep suspicions and must be fully investigated. We can only assume there is deep corruption involved so criminal charges should be brought against this shocking moron

Waste of space. The only good thing about her is that she caused Abe numerous problems through her idiocy.

So basically they want Japanese soldiers on UN Peacekeeping missions to risk their lives and be shot at but NOT shoot back? And if they do defend themselves by fighting back, this should be covered up?

sigh

As a long term resident of Fukui , where Inada is from, its hard not to feel sorry for her now that the jackles have been set loose. Admittedly she was well out of her depth from the start and probably thought that having the same ultra conservative convictions and connections as the PM would suffice. Obviously she was wrong , but blame those that put her in the firing line to start with. お疲れ様でした !

I always knew the South Sudan jaunt would end in tears.

A nation that has no experience of modern warfare for over 70 years is wholly unprepared for the nasty hostile environment which exists there.

These guys have been shooting blanks in Hokkaido forests for training.

When they were in Iraq on a humanitarian mission the Dutch and Brits were protecting them.

The GSDF decided not to disclose the logs, fearing that they might contain information that could affect the safety of the troops in South Sudan. The "inappropriate" handling set the example for the response to the subsequent information disclosure requests, the report said.

Fearing that they might ? why fear, the article makes it sound as if the GSDF didn't read the logs

Did this so called logs pass through Fukushima daiichi and everybody was scared to read it.

Won't they know whether it would jeopardize troop safety or not if they read it.

She should have never been appointed Defense Minister. Japan needs someone with a real military background, someone with a proven military track record.

She should have never been appointed Defense Minister. Japan needs someone with a real military background, someone with a proven military track record.

A lot of countries have Defence Secretaries that have no military background.

They need somebody with a real military background like they need a hole in the head. Past experience has taught them only too well the danger of relinquishing civilian control over the military.

so did JSDF open fire on locals in Sudan ? Why can't we know what did happen over there ?