Japanese Premier Kishida dismisses executive secretary for disparaging remarks

Premier Fumio Kishida, left, meets with reporters while his executive secretary, Masayoshi Arai, stands by. Kishida fired Arai on February 4 for making disparaging remarks about sexual minorities. On February 3, Koichi Ueda, who served as an executive secretary for media relations for Kishida, said he would not want to live next to gays and other sexual minorities.

Kishida told reporters the following day that it was attempting to establish a sustainable and inclusive society in which diversity is recognized. The comments by Arai go completely against that position. On February 4, Kishida visited Ishikawa and Fukui prefectures, and initially Arai was to accompany him. He was told to stay in Tokyo.

In Fukui Prefecture, Kishida told reporters he had no choice but to let Arai go.

Kishida said that Sadanori Ito, the head of the Personnel Division at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, would replace Arai.

Arai said he loathed even looking at sexual minorities during a Feb. 3 meeting with reporters, and that all executive secretaries under Kishida were opposed to same-sex marriage, an issue that is well-known in the public eye.

Arai met with reporters later the same day and retracted some of his comments, especially those that he realized could be considered discriminatory.

Arai was a career bureaucrat in the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry before being appointed an executive secretary to Kishida when he became prime minister in October 2021. Arai served in the role of spokesman for Kishida, often writing his speeches and meeting with media representatives on a regular basis.

His comments came two days after Kishida said at a Lower House Budget Committee session that he was not enthusiastic about allowing same-sex marriages because it could fundamentally change society. Arai is not the first person to be linked to the Kishida administration for making controversies about sexual minorities.

Mio Sugita resigned as parliamentary vice minister for internal affairs and communications in late December for a series of offensive remarks about sexual minorities, including one about how they were unproductive members of society.

She said that sexual discrimination does not exist and that women would never become equal to men.

Four ministers under Kishida have resigned due to various scandals, including one who remembered his ties to the Unification Church only after media reports surfaced.