Scandal-ridden Tokyo Gov. Naoki Inose announced his resignation Thursday for taking money from a hospital operator mired in allegations of election law violations involving a Diet member.
Inose said he decided to step down to prevent the scandal from disrupting Tokyo¡¯s preparations to host the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, which he had played an instrumental role in landing.
¡°I can¡¯t clog up metropolitan government operations any more due to a personal issue. To resolve this situation, there is no way other than to step down as governor,¡± Inose, who had just finished his first year on the job, said during a hastily arranged news conference in the metropolitan government building.
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