Japan's agriculture minister resigns amid budget-cut threats and vote-buying allegations

Kazuo Yana stepped down as Japan's agriculture minister after just 28 days amid a scandal over alleged threats to withhold funding from municipalities that did not support his February House of Representatives campaign. Voters in Tochigi's No. 3 district, particularly in Nasukarasuyama and Nakagawa, expressed outrage, demanding an apology and pledging not to vote for him again. Municipal assemblies in both towns adopted resolutions denouncing Yana, describing his comments as causing unforgivable anxiety.

The controversy revives a 2023 slush-fund scandal involving factions of the Liberal Democratic Party and adds new accusations that Yana's campaign paid a supporter to phone voters and provided free shuttle buses, actions prosecutors say constitute vote-buying under the Public Offices Election Act. Yana maintained the transportation was offered "on humanitarian grounds" after consulting the Tochigi Prefectural election commission, which later could not verify the consultation. Political analysts called the episode a textbook case of illegal election benefits, further damaging trust in the ruling party.