Edited Version Of Suga's Old Book Published
An edited version of a book written by Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide eight years ago has hit the stores in Japan. In the book, he promises to fight the coronavirus and protect jobs, but a passage referring to the government's management of official documents has been left out.
The book summarizing Suga's political views was published on Tuesday with new interviews and other content added.
Suga pledges well-balanced measures to deal with the coronavirus and stresses the importance of maintaining jobs and keeping businesses going in a tough economic environment.
He warns that people's lives will come to a standstill unless economic activity is balanced with the safeguarding of health.
When the book was initially published eight years ago, it contained Suga's criticism of the Democratic Party administration's response to the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident.
Suga said much of the government meetings at the time lacked minutes. He described minutes of proceedings as the most basic reference material, and said the failure of the then-administration to make them amounted to betrayal of the public. The chapter including the passage is missing from the edited version.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu said on Tuesday the government will not comment on a book Suga published as a politician.
