TOKYO - JAPAN'S gaffe-prone prime minister, Taro Aso, said he had been mistaken for a disoriented old man during his morning walk, a comment that could offend the elderly and further damage his tumbling support in an ageing society.

Mr Aso, 68, has come under fire for a series of flip-flops and gaffes as he tries to hang on to his job, with support for his government plunging as he struggles with Japan's recession.

'I used to be mistaken for a disoriented old man wandering around while I took a walk in the morning. Some people stopped me several times,' he was quoted by the Mainichi newspaper as telling a parliamentary committee on Monday.

But asked by a reporter whether he thought his remark was insensitive, he was quoted by Kyodo news agency as saying: 'What was wrong with it? I was the one who was told that 'you look like a disoriented old man.''

While his latest comments may not be seen as problematic as previous ones that offended people from doctors and parents to the elderly, Mr Aso's every word and behaviour have been under strict scrutiny as his administration is quickly losing credibility.

The ruling party tapped the manga comic-loving Aso in hopes he could lead them to victory in an election that must be held by September 2009, but lawmakers increasingly fear defeat.

His wife spoke out in his defence after recent bloopers including his public misreading of Chinese characters in Japanese texts.

'He does not show it, but he is a hard worker,' Chikako Aso said in a magazine for Mr Aso's ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

'He reads manga but he does it when he is moving around by car to switch his thoughts and refresh his mind. But in his office, he will read documents and difficult books.' -- REUTERS