Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will appear before a parliamentary ethics committee, becoming the first sitting PM to do so. The move is an attempt to address a funding scandal affecting his popularity and potentially delaying the next year’s budget. Although Kishida is not directly implicated in the scandal, he expressed urgency in addressing public distrust in politics. The opposition had demanded a public hearing, while the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) sought a closed session. The scandal has contributed to a dip in support for Kishida and the LDP, with approval ratings at their lowest since Kishida took office in 2021.