In this September 17, 2010 file photo, Japan's newly-appointed Justice Minister Minoru Yanagida arrives at the Prime Minister's official residence in Tokyo. [Photo/Agencies]

TOKYO - Japanese Justice Minister Minoru Yanagida is resigning  from his Cabinet post to take responsibility for his recent comments widely seen as deriding his duty to respond to Diet questioning, public broadcaster NHK said Monday.

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Yanagida told Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan that he intended to step down as justice minister Monday morning.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku will concurrently serve as the justice chief, the report said.

Yanagida will become the first minister to step down since Kan reshuffled his Cabinet in mid-September shortly after winning reelection as Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) president.

The minister's resignation comes as the chief opposition Liberal Democratic Party was preparing for a censure motion against the 56-year-old DPJ member and threatening to delay passage of a 4.4 trillion yen ($52.69 billion) budget aimed at bolstering an economy hurt by deflation and a strong yen.