Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Appoints Eldest Son As Executive Secretary
Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio appointed his eldest son as his executive secretary on Wednesday.
The move sparked speculation that Kishida is grooming his son Shotaro to become an eventual successor by exposing him to the front lines of government.
There are currently eight executive secretaries to the prime minister. Shotaro's predecessor had been working as a member of Kishida's staff in charge of political affairs for many years.
Kishida Shotaro is 31 years old. He is a former employee of a major trading house, and had already worked as a part of his father's team.
The Diet affairs chief of the Constitutional Democratic Party, Azumi Jun, criticized the appointment as "anachronistic."
He emphasized that the prime minister must explain why he chose his son over other talented candidates if he wishes to avoid being accused of mixing public and private matters.