Last Call: Japanese Finance Minister Resigns Over Alleged Drunken Scene at G7

Japan’s Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa has announced that he will resign after getting drunk at last weekend’s G7 summit in Rome. The video is below. It may be a bad economic sign when the finance ministers of major countries are self-medicating in this fashion.

Nakagawa was facing a censure motion in the legislature over his embarrassing choice for an alcohol-laden road trip. Nevertheless, he continues to insist that jetlag and cough mixture made him loopy. Various witnesses described him as bumping into doorframes and past drinking bouts.

In one video in 2006, Nakagawa stopped speaking during a speech and remained motionless for about half a minute before sitting down. On that occasion, he blamed back medicine. Perhaps he should switch to herbals.

For the video, click here.

The incident has even been remixed, click here and here.

For the full story, click here and here.