Japan names new Olympics minister after gaffes

TOKYO (AFP) - Japan on Thursday appointed a new Olympics minister to replace a gaffe-prone politician forced to step down after the latest in a string of embarrassing mis-steps.

With less than 500 days to go until the opening ceremony, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters he had re-appointed the ''experienced'' Shunichi Suzuki, who had already served as Olympics minister between 2017 and 2018.

''I hope Mr. Suzuki... will recover trust (among the public) and lead us towards a successful Olympic and Paralympic Games,'' Abe told reporters.

Suzuki's appointment came after his predecessor Yoshitaka Sakurada quit late Wednesday after comments seen as disrespectful to survivors of the 2011 tsunami.

He reportedly told a political gathering that securing the re-election of a local lawmaker was more important than recovery in the area hit by the quake-triggered tsunami and nuclear meltdown that claimed more than 18,000 lives.

More than 50,000 people have not returned to their home towns following the disaster, and Japan has dubbed the 2020 Games the ''Reconstruction Olympics'' in a bid to showcase recovery in affected regions.

Sakurada's comments were the latest in a series of controversial statements that had raised questions about his suitability to steer the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

He also held the cybersecurity portfolio and became a laughing stock after he admitted he ''does not use computers.''

In February, he was forced to apologize after suggesting that the leukemia diagnosis of star Japanese swimmer Rikako Ikee could dampen enthusiasm for the Games.

The shock announcement of 18-year-old Ikee's diagnosis had prompted an outpouring of support in Japan, but Sakurada came under fire after responding to the news by saying: ''She is a potential gold medalist... I'm really disappointed.''