TOKYO - JAPAN'S Prime Minister Taro Aso made another gaffe on Saturday after saying share traders were regarded as untrustworthy by some Japanese, local media reported.

'If you are dealing stocks, you can be somehow regarded as shady in rural areas,' Mr Aso told a panel of experts meeting to discuss a new economic stimulus package, according to the evening edition of the Asahi Shimbun.

'Stockbrokers are not trusted,' Mr Aso said, using the Japanese term, 'kabuya', which can be considered derogatory, Kyodo News reported.

The prime minister faces an election later this year but is struggling to win over public support as Japan heads into its worst post-war recession and he faces criticism over a series of gaffes and other political problems.

He has drawn fire after accusing doctors of lacking common sense and chiding elderly patients for the growing cost of their medical care. -- AFP