Business torrents

Japan’s Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa said taking too much cold medicine after drinking wine at a luncheon caused him to slur his words and appear sleepy at a Group of Seven press conference in Rome last weekend.

Nakagawa told lawmakers in Tokyo today he had double the prescribed dose of cold medicine at a meeting of finance ministers and central bankers on Feb. 14. The minister appeared to have difficulty understanding questions and slurred his words when addressing reporters after the gathering.

“I took a little more medicine than prescribed,” Nakagawa said, adding that he had “a sip” of wine earlier.

Opposition lawmakers called for Nakagawa’s resignation after television footage showed him dozing off during the press conference and having a hard time responding to reporters’ questions. Nakagawa said Prime Minister Taro Aso would decide how to respond to calls for his resignation from the opposition following the incident.

Takeo Kawamura, the government’s top spokesman, said today Nakagawa was under the influence of cold medication and not alcohol instant payday loans completely online. Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa, who attended the meeting with Nakagawa, told lawmakers he didn’t think Nakagawa was affected by alcohol.

Yukio Hatoyama, secretary general of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan, criticized Nakagawa and indicated the party may call for him to resign, Jiji press reported him saying.

Blow to Aso

The incident was the latest blow to Aso, whose popularity slid to the second-lowest on record for a leader. Aso’s approval rating fell to 9.7 percent in a Nippon television news survey from 17.4 percent, the poorest showing since the Mori administration in 2001, the broadcaster said. His disapproval rating climbed 6.9 percentage points from last month to 76.2 percent.

Japan’s economy shrank at an annual 12.7 percent pace last quarter, the most since the 1974 oil shock, a report by the Cabinet Office today showed.

Source