Hyogo Gov. Motohiko Saito refused to step down Wednesday over the sudden death of a prefectural official who created and distributed a document accusing him of wrongdoing.
Saito's refusal came after the prefectural employee union submitted a complaint to the prefectural government earlier on Wednesday effectively demanding his resignation over the death of the official.
At a news conference in Kobe, Saito said he takes the death seriously. But he said: "It is my responsibility to rebuild the prefectural administration. I will thoroughly take action to fulfill my responsibilities."
The union's complaint said that "it is extremely regrettable that the official who spoke out could not be protected," and that "prefectural administration has stagnated and there is no hope of regaining public trust."
The late official, a former head of a regional branch of the prefectural government, created a document claiming that gifts from Hyogo Prefecture companies are piled up at the governor's home and that his power harassment is exceeding what officials can handle.
The prefecture's internal probe found that the claims by the official amounted to slander, and the official was punished in May with a three-month suspension.
The prefectural assembly set up an investigation committee to look into the matter. The official was slated to appear before the committee on July 19.