Japan PM shakes up cabinet as anger grows over ties to Unification Church

FILE PHOTO: Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida addresses the United Nations General Assembly during the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference in New York City, New York, U.S., August 1, 2022. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado/File Photo

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reshuffled his cabinet on Wednesday, as he battled growing public anger about his party's longstanding links to the Unification Church that has battered his approval ratings.

The issue has deepened into a major liability for Kishida, who told a news conference he had no ties to the church and that the organisation - which critics call a cult - had not influenced policy of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.