Japan's Takai keeps MEXT minister amid extramarital affair scandal

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takai said on March 12 that she does not intend to dismiss Matsumoto Yohei, the minister in charge of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), despite a scandal involving an extramarital affair. Her remarks came during a session of the House of Representatives Budget Committee.

Takai told lawmakers that she appointed Matsumoto as an administrator with expertise to carry out her policy agenda and that she expects him to carry out his duties. She indicated she would not replace him, saying she would “respond firmly” with work rather than through removal.

Matsumoto offered an apology, calling the matter a past incident and expressing regret. He said there is no record showing whether the woman involved visited the Diet Members’ Building, and he asserted that there were no rule violations. He added that his wife had scolded him at the time and he apologized in earnest.

The scandal was first reported by the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun, which alleged that Matsumoto had rekindled a relationship with a married woman since 2020 and had invited her to a private room in the Diet Members’ Building. Matsumoto acknowledged the past relationship but emphasized that the current issue was not ongoing.

Matsumoto is a seven-term member of the House of Representatives who has held posts including head of the Liberal Democratic Party’s Youth Division and deputy minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. He first joined the cabinet in October of last year and was retained as MEXT minister in the second cabinet reshuffle last month. He married in 2014 and has two children.

Context for international readers: MEXT oversees Japan’s education policy, science funding, and technology development—areas closely linked to the United States through joint research, supply chains for advanced technologies, and talent pipelines for collaboration. The decision to retain a minister implicated in personal misconduct can affect public trust and the government’s ability to push major science, digital, and innovation policies at a time when Tokyo seeks closer cooperation with Washington on critical technologies and regional security, as well as on global commerce and standards.