Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida answers a question to the Supreme Court of Tokyo on January 27, 2023, during a plenary session of the upper house of parliament in Tokyo. PHOTO AFP TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was under fire Tuesday from the opposition camp over allegations that his son used taxpayers' money for sightseeing trips while on official duty.
Shotaro, 32, who serves as his secretary, was alleged by the Shukan Shincho magazine to have visited tourist hot spots in Paris, London and Ottawa at taxpayers' expense and used a government-owned vehicle while the prime minister was carrying out official duties overseas in January.
The allegations have dealt a further blow to the already slumping approval rating for Kishida's cabinet, after a number of high-profile ministerial resignations over funding scandals, gaffes and links to a shady religious organization.
The approval rating has taken a major hit from the Kishida administration's plan to raise taxes to fund an unprecedented increase in defense spending.
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The approval rating dropped to around the 30 percent-mark, the lowest level since Kishida launched his cabinet in October 2021, and a level below which has historically been a harbinger of the end of a prime minister's tenure, according to local media polls in December.
The Japanese leader initially caught flak in October when he handpicked Shotaro, the eldest of his three sons, to serve as his executive secretary, sparking accusations of nepotism from the opposition bloc as well as the public.
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The latest headache for Kishida comes after a week-long trip to Britain, Canada, France, Italy and the United States ahead of the Group of Seven summit in May, which will be held in Hiroshima Prefecture, Kishida's constituency.
Kishida refused to comment on his son's actions during a parliamentary committee session Tuesday.