Japan minister quits over donation

Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara said today he is stepping down for having accepted a political donation from a foreigner, which is illegal in Japan.

The resignation is another blow to the embattled administration of Prime Minister Naoto Kan, whose public approval rating has fallen below 20%.

Maehara was foreign minister for just six months.

The Japanese political funding law prohibits MPs from accepting donations from foreigners.