Pressure mounts on farm minister amid claims of denigrating media scrutiny
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Farm minister Kazuo Yana came under renewed pressure Friday amid further reporting on his conduct including claims he used coarse lan
On Friday, farm minister Kazuo Yana faced mounting pressure following new reports alleging coarse language and denigrating media scrutiny. Appointed to the Cabinet in September, Yana has been under scrutiny since last week's media reports detailing his contentious comments about road budgets during a visit to a quake-hit area. Weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun claims he used offensive expressions when apologizing to local representatives for interviewing a reporter about "garbage questions" during a tour of Kumamoto Prefecture, which was impacted by a major earthquake in July.
When questioned at a press conference on Friday, Yana claimed he could not recall the alleged remarks, stating his intention was to apologize for the discussion of his political activities during the tour. The magazine also alleged Yana provided free bus transportation to supporters in campaign support for the 2024 and 2026 House of Representatives elections, potentially violating the public offices act. Yana stated he would verify the facts and provide an explanation at a later date.
Takaichi, Yana's political ally, reiterated on Friday her intention to retain him in his post, maintaining his position as her right-hand man on agricultural policy.
Written by urgent.news from The Mainichi's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
