Скачать или смотреть Japanese minister 'drunk at G7 meeting'

Japan's Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa has apologised for appearing to be drunk at a press conference at the G7 meeting in Rome.

Slurring his words and appearing to nod off at one stage, Mr Nakagawa, whose love of a stiff drink is no secret in Japan , could barely stay awake as he tried to field reporters' questions.

At one stage he could not make out a journalist asking a question from just a few feet away.

Mr Nakagawa has blamed cold and flu medicine for his condition but has apologised.

"I had a toast and drank a little," the minister told a media conference.

"I think the meaning of being drunk and have a little toast is very different."

Prime Minister Taro Aso has ignored opposition demands for him to be sacked.

But Associate Professor of politics at Sophia University in Tokyo, Koichi Nakano, says the minister's behaviour is a disgrace.

"There's no knowing exactly how much he drank but it seems quite obvious from the image we see on television that he was quite drunk at the time of the press conference," he said.