Japan's farm minister Kazuo Yana resigns
It is the first exit of a Takaichi minister over a scandal. A recording tied road-fund cuts in two towns to their mayors' political backing.
Kazuo Yana resigned on Wednesday, Oct. 14 as Japan's agriculture minister, and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi accepted his resignation, according to Jiji Press. It is the first ministerial exit over a scandal since she took office in October 2025, and it comes less than four weeks after she reshuffled her cabinet on Sept. 17.
The trigger was an audio recording whose authenticity Yana himself confirmed. In it he linked cuts in road funding for two municipalities to the fact that their mayors had backed a rival in the February election, according to Reuters. He later denied having any power over those budget decisions. Before parliament, he admitted that his campaign offered free transport to supporters to attend a rally, something some lawmakers see as a possible violation of election law.
Takaichi told reporters, according to Reuters:
"Responsibility for appointing him rests upon me, the prime minister."
She said she accepted the resignation so the government can move forward on priority issues, such as a temporary cut in the consumption tax on food.
The political cost was already being measured. An NHK poll found that 78% considered Yana's explanation unacceptable, while approval of the cabinet fell to 51%, two points lower than a month earlier, according to Reuters. The ruling bloc lacks a majority in the upper house, where the opposition was preparing a no-confidence motion against Yana that would not have been binding.
As his successor, Xinhua, the Chinese state news agency, names Arata Takebe, a lawmaker from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). No other source had confirmed it as of this writing, and the date of the appointment is also unclear. According to Xinhua, Akira Koike of the Japanese Communist Party said the new lineup gives no sign that the prime minister has engaged in self-criticism over the case.
It remains to be seen whether the no-confidence motion is still alive after the resignation and whether a formal investigation into the possible election-law violation will be opened.
