Furore swirls over Japan minister's A-bomb remarks

TOKYO, July 3 (Reuters) Japan's defence minister apologised again today for remarks appearing to accept the 1945 US atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but opposition parties -- keen to woo voters ahead of this month's election -- insisted that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe fire the gaffe-prone politician.

Abe's support rates have already been slashed by outrage over government mishandling of pension records, and the weekend remarks by Defence Minister Fumio Kyuma have only added to his headaches in the run-up to the July 29 upper house poll.

''All I can do is apologise to the victims of the atomic bombings and to others not directly involved,'' Kyuma, whose election district includes the city of Nagasaki, told reporters.

He added that he also regretted making things harder for fellow ruling party lawmakers, who face tough battles in the July 29 election for parliament's upper house.

''I have previously said that nuclear arms are unpardonable and there is no change in my stance on that,'' Kyuma added.

More than 360,000 people ultimately died from the atomic blasts that hit Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, days before Japan surrendered in World War Two.

The nuclear attacks hold a central role in Japan's collective memory of the war and the country has been criticised for stressing its status as victim while failing to acknowledge its own war atrocities.

Kyuma has already been reprimanded by Abe and apologised for saying on Saturday that he thought the atomic bomb attacks on the two cities at the end of World War Two ''could not be helped.'' Opposition parties executives were seeking a meeting with Abe or his aides to press their demand that he fire the 66-year-old defence minister, who has built a reputation for verbal gaffes since taking office. In January he angered Washington by calling the invasion of Iraq a mistake.

Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue was also set to meet Kyuma and visit the prime minister's office to protest against the defence minister's remarks, a Nagasaki city official said.

Abe can ill-afford another furore as his ruling coalition heads into the upper house election.

A weekend survey by the Asahi newspaper poll showed Abe's support rate had slipped to 28 per cent from 31 per cent in the previous survey a week earlier -- the weakest result for the once popular leader since he came to office last September.

Abe would not automatically have to step down if his Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition loses its majority in the upper house.

But a big loss would mean the ruling bloc could not enact legislation, which must be approved by both houses of parliament, threatening political paralysis and sparking calls for Abe to quit or even call a snap lower house election.

REUTERS TB RAI0740