Japan names Matsumoto as new foreign minister

New Japanese Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto (second from right) poses for a photo with foreign ministers S.M. Krishna of India, Antonio Patriota of Brazil, and Guide Westerwelle of Germany. -- PHOTO: AP

TOKYO - JAPAN named political blue-blood Takeaki Matsumoto as its new foreign minister on Wednesday to succeed Seiji Maehara, who resigned over a donation scandal, said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan picked the 51-year-old former banker and great great grandson of Japan's first prime minister because of Mr Matsumoto's 'capability, knowledge and to ensure continuity of diplomacy', Mr Edano said. -- AFP

The 51-year-old's father, Juro Matsumoto, was a senior member of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party, which was ousted from power by the Democratic Party of Japan in 2009.

Mr Maehara, tipped as a successor to Mr Kan, stepped down for illegally accepting about US$3,000 (S$3,800) from a woman of Korean background.

Under Japanese law, politicians are banned from taking money from foreign nationals. Mr Maehara's departure has dealt a blow to the centre-left government and spelt a headache for Japan given a busy diplomatic calendar.

Group of Eight foreign ministers are meeting in Paris next week and Japan plans to host the foreign ministers of China and South Korea in Tokyo this month. -- AFP