Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso comments on the Suga Cabinet in a news conference following a Cabinet meeting on Sept. 7, 2021, at the Finance Ministry in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward. (Mainichi/Yuki Machino)

       TOKYO -- Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso has told a Sept. 7 news conference that Japan's coronavirus situation had been "resolved in some way or other."

       Aso's comment came in reference to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's recent announcement he will not seek reelection as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

       "The coronavirus has been resolved in some way or other, and the international community's evaluation (of Japan) is extremely high. In that sense, it's certain that he (Suga) fulfilled his role," Aso said, adding, "I think that part is probably the biggest reason (for Suga not seeking reelection)." "It was a decision deserving respect in its own way," Aso added.

       Recent days have seen declining coronavirus infection numbers in Tokyo and other areas, but parts of Japan remain hard-pressed to secure enough hospital beds for coronavirus patients, and Aso's use of the term "resolved" is likely to stir controversy.

       Regarding Suga's accomplishments, Aso noted the Suga administration had advanced the end of the use of seals for official documents, with the issue approached in a way that was "close to revolutionary." He also praised the advancement of environmentally friendly measures and digitalization as having an "extremely large impact on the economy."

       The deputy prime minister further stated that the recently ended Olympic and Paralympic Games had had an effect on the economy and consumption "amid marked media obstruction."

       (Japanese original by Yuki Machino, Business News Department)

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