Tokyo - The Japanese public has over the years got used to the occasionally embarrassing escapades of its politicians.
But the performance of Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa at a weekend press conference left even staunch government supporters speechless.
The 55-year-old appeared utterly drunk as he met the international press during the final day of the G7 meeting in Rome and started to mumble into the microphone.
He later attempted to excuse his excruciating performance, saying it was a combination of exhaustion, possibly aggravated by having taken too much cold medicine.
Tokyo - Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average fell to a four-month low Tuesday after Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa said he would step down following accusations he was drunk at a Group of Seven press conference.
