Japanese minister resigns over claims he was drunk on TV

Japan's finance minister today said he would resign after being forced to deny that he was drunk at a G7 news conference.

Shoichi Nakagawa's announcement deals a fresh blow to unpopular Prime Minister Taro Aso whose public support is plummeting during an election year, and will do nothing to calm frayed nerves over Japan's economy which is shrinking at its fastest rate in 35 years.

Mr Nakagawa said he would step down after parliament passed budget bills but the opposition has demanded he quit immediately.



Yesterday, Mr Nakagawa blamed a heavy dose of cold medicine for a baffling performance at a G7 news conference that made him appear incapably drunk.

He was filmed at a news conference slurring his speech and closing his eyes repeatedly as if dozing off during the conference with the Bank of Japan governor after a meeting of the Group of Seven finance leaders in Rome.

Nakagawa, 55, a close ally of prime minister Taro Aso, insisted that he had drunk 'no more than a glassful' of wine before the news conference and that his shaky performance was due to having too much cough medicine.

You can see the video with subtitles here.