Japan's Defence Minister Tomomi Inada announces her resignation during a news conference at the Defence Ministry in Tokyo, July 28, 2017 (Photo:Reuters)

Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada submitted her resignation following allegations she helped to suppress the release of sensitive defense documents, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said early Friday. Inada was accused of helping to obscure internal records that detailed the danger Japanese peacekeepers faced in South Sudan. Her departure comes days before a reshuffle of the Japanese cabinet scheduled for next week.