TOKYO, Jan. 6 (UPI) -- Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama says he hopes Finance Minister Hirohisa Fujii will reconsider his decision to resign due to health reasons.
Hatoyama, while indicating the 77-year-old minister may not be in very good health, told reporters Fujii is the main architect of this fiscal year's budget and that "I, of course, strongly hope he would nurture'' the budget proposal for the year starting in April, Kyodo News reported.
''But it is about his health. I must take into account to a certain degree assessments from doctors (on Fujii's health),'' Hatoyama said.
The report, quoting ruling party lawmakers, said Fujii had told Hatoyama Tuesday he wants to resign due to his health. Hatoyama may officially accept Fujii's resignation once he makes up his mind on the next finance minister, the lawmakers said.
Names floated as Fujii's likely successor include Deputy Prime Minister Naoto Kan, Yoshito Sengoku, state minister in charge of administrative reform, and Senior Vice Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda, the report said.
Kyodo said Fujii was hospitalized Dec. 28 for medical tests due to exhaustion and high blood pressure.
Fujii's resignation would be a blow to the Hatoyama government, which came to power in September after the landslide victory of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, the Financial Times reported.
The report said Fujii has said he would respect the decision of his doctors, who have run tests to see if he is healthy enough for the job, the report said.
Hatoyama faces a political funding scandal and is fighting to get parliamentary approval of a record budget to spur Japan's troubled economy, the report said.
