Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa said Tuesday he will step down after various budget bills are passed by the lower house of parliament.
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Nakagawa said he was resigning his post following criticism of his behavior at a weekend press conference at the G7 meeting in Rome where he displayed slurred speech and a sleepy demeanor.
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Nakagawa denied being drunk at a press conference and said he had mixed cold medicine and alcohol with unfortunate results. Speaking at a press conference Tuesday in Japan, Nakagawa said was resigning his post: "To take responsibility for the trouble I caused."
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