TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama accepted the resignation of his ailing finance minister, who was hospitalized for exhaustion while preparing stimulus measures to address the economic slowdown.
Finance Minister Hirohisa Fujii, 77, will be replaced by Hatoyama's deputy Naoto Kan.
Fujii, who has a history of high blood pressure, spent several tough weeks late last year churning out a record 92.29 billion yen ($1 trillion) budget. The government is also trying to pass a 7.2 trillion yen ($78 billion) stimulus package.
Japan's Nikkei 225 stock average closed up 0.5 percent, at a new 15-month high of 10,731.45 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.6 percent, South Korea's Kospi climbed 0.9 percent, Australia's benchmark advanced 0.2 percent and Singapore's market gained 0.2 percent. China's Shanghai index dropped 0.9 percent.
From "Excite" News
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