Japan opposition apologizes over ‘termite’ remark

TOKYO: Japan’s main opposition party has apologized after a senior member called the Japanese Communist Party a “termite” in response to the smaller party’s call for a coalition against Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government.

The comment, from Seiji Maehara of the Democratic Party of Japan, came during a television political talk show, when he was asked about the possibility of cooperating with the Japanese Communist Party in an upper house election due next year.