A Cabinet minister apologized Friday for suggesting that American officials were using the dollar-yen crisis to exploit the Japanese as slaves.
In a speech Thursday night, Transport Minister Shizuka Kamei suggested U.S. officials were deliberately refusing to support the dollar, forcing Japanese companies to work harder for less profit."This may be a bold way of putting it, but there was a time when America bought slaves and took them over from Africa to produce wealth," Kamei said.
"From what I've seen recently of the U.S. response, I can't help but wonder whether they're exploiting us, whether they're thinking, `Hey, the Japanese are really diligent. Maybe we could use them as slaves.' "
At a news conference Friday, Kamei said he regretted using such "figurative" language and said he thought he was speaking off the record.
His comments came at a time of growing friction between Japan and the United States over the soaring yen. The Japanese currency has risen nearly 17 percent against the dollar this year, sending the dollar to its lowest level since modern exchange rates were set up in the late 1940s.
That has put the crunch on Japan's exports. Many small businesses are working longer hours to stay competitive, while large companies are cutting costs and reporting lower profits.