LDP lawmaker under fire for saying central Japan quake "fortunate"

A senior ruling party lawmaker on Wednesday faced a chorus of criticism for suggesting an earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula in central Japan last year was "fortunate" in showing how improvements can be made in public services.Yosuke Tsuruho, who made the remark Tuesday in a campaign speech for the House of Councillors election on July 20, apologized for the "inappropriate" remark but ruled out stepping down.His comment came at a time when residents in Ishikawa and neighboring prefectures are still struggling to recover in the aftermath of the magnitude-7.6 quake on New Year's Day in…READ FULL ARTICLE