Japan's lower house chief vows to explain ties to Unification Church

Japan's lower house chief Hiroyuki Hosoda expressed readiness Thursday to clarify his dubious links with the controversial Unification Church after opposition parties called for an explanation in the Diet.During an extraordinary parliamentary session on Wednesday, Kenta Izumi, leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, demanded that Hosoda, the 78-year-old speaker of the House of Representatives, explain further his ties with the religious group.It is unusual for a lawmaker to direct a question to a lower house speaker, who plays a neutral role in the chamber.Be…READ FULL ARTICLE