Aide to Japan's prime minister says he 'hates' to see LGBT couples

TOKYO, Feb 04 (Nikkei) - A secretary to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Masayoshi Arai, said Friday night he does "not want to live next door" to an LGBT couple and that he would "hate to see them," but quickly retracted the discriminatory remarks after they were reported by the media.

Arai said he "apologizes for having used expressions that may cause misunderstanding" in withdrawing the remarks. "I feel sorry for [causing any issues for] the prime minister, as he does not think like that," the secretary also said.

"I caused trouble [to the prime minister] due to my own opinions," he said.

Before the withdrawal, Arai also said, "There are quite a few people who say they would abandon this country" if same-sex marriage is introduced in Japan, a step that would "change the way society is." ...continue reading

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