Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has removed some ministers linked to the controversial Unification Church from government amid growing public outrage over the ruling party's ties to the group.
Mr Kishida announced his new government team with a cabinet reshuffle earlier than the predicted September date.
Key figures like Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno held onto their posts, however some high-profile ministers were removed.
In the month since former prime minister Shinzo Abe was gunned down, the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) long-standing ties to the church have been linked to falling approval ratings.
It has become a growing liability for Mr Kishida, who has been in office since October 2021.
Mr Abe's alleged killer said his mother was a church member bankrupted by donating to it and that he blamed Mr Abe for promoting it.
In Japan, the assassination brought a rare public focus on the group, which critics call a cult.
Conservative LDP politicians had previously appeared at events sponsored by church affiliates.
Mr Kishida's public support rating has dropped below 50 per cent, its lowest since he became Prime Minister.
He has said he has no ties with the Unification Church.
He said new cabinet members and party officials would have to "thoroughly review" their links to the group, a sign he wanted to take a strict line.
"He's basically doing damage control," said political commentator Atsuo Ito.
"What people are really watching is the Unification Church."
The religious group itself is set to hold a rare news conference with foreign media late on Wednesday.
Multiple cabinet members have publicly disclosed links to the church.
Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi, Mr Abe's younger brother, was also removed, although local media reports said that was due to health problems.
Mr Kishi previously said Unification Church members had worked on his election campaigns.
However, Minoru Terada, appointed Internal Affairs Minister in the reshuffle, had given money to a Unification Church-affiliated group, the Asahi Shimbun daily paper reported.
It also said Economy Minister Daishiro Yamagiwa — who will remain in his post — had also made a contribution to a church-related group.
Mr Terada said he was not aware the group he gave money had connections to the Unification Church and would have no further dealings with it.
Mr Yamagiwa's office was quoted as saying he would explain his contribution later on Wednesday.
"The roots of the [Unification Church] are deep," political commentator Joji Harano said.
"Given that they're dealing with potentially explosive issues, party unity and reconciliation may remain something distant."
He was replaced by Yasukazu Hamada, who held the position once before.
Trade Minister Koichi Hagiuda became head of the LDP's policy research council, a heavyweight job.
That appointment was seen as an attempt to appease members of the Abe faction, the party's biggest.
Mr Hagiuda has publicly acknowledged attending an event held by a church-related group.
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki will remain in his post, government and LDP sources told Reuters.
Mr Kishida's instruction to ruling party members to cut ties to the Unification Church was unfortunate, if true, the local head of the church said.
Tomihiro Tanaka, president of Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, spoke to reporters amid an outcry over the church's connections to some lawmakers.
ABC/Reuters
