TOKYO, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Japan's minister in charge of Okinawa and Northern Territories affairs will step down after suffering a stroke, government sources were quoted as saying Tuesday.
Esaki, 74, a seventh-term lower house member from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), was admitted to hospital on Monday again one week after being hospitalized for a minor stroke, Japan's top government spokesperson said.
Esaki, according to sources familiar with the matter, was initially diagnosed with having had a transient ischemic attack that causes temporary disruption of blood flow to the brain.
He was admitted again on Monday this week for treatment for a suspected stroke and will remain at the facility and at home for around a week, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga had told a press briefing.
Teru Fukui, 64, a former senior vice education minister, is likely to be picked by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to replace Esaki, government sources said. Fukui is serving his seventh term as a lower house member of the LDP.
Esaki, known for being gaffe-prone, took up his first ministerial portfolio in August last year which pertains to issues related to Okinawa -- often in the spotlight for U.S. military-linked accidents and mishaps, and for the tiny island hosting the bulk of U.S. bases in Japan -- and for a group of islands in the north which Japan claims but are controlled by Russia.
Esaki was elected to the lower house for the first time in 1993. He took over from his father Masumi Esaki who was trade minister for the LDP. Esaki has also held the senior vice transport minister position.
On Feb. 19, Esaki had said he felt unwell in the evening and did not attend a Cabinet meeting a day later. His symptoms matched those of a minor stroke and he was hospitalized and underwent treatment until he was discharged from hospital on Feb. 24. only to be readmitted on Monday.
