Tokyo: Japanese farm minister Kazuo Yana resigned on Wednesday after facing criticism over remarks about cutting road funding for municipalities that did not support him, becoming the first minister to step down from Sanae Takaichi’s government.
Takaichi appointed Yana during a cabinet reshuffle last month but publicly reprimanded him in parliament over the remarks. Local media first reported the comments earlier this month.
The prime minister said Yana had offered his resignation to avoid causing further disruption to parliamentary deliberations and diverting attention from overseeing agricultural, forestry and fisheries policies.
The resignation comes during an extraordinary parliamentary session in which Takaichi faces a high-stakes challenge to secure approval for key policy goals, including a temporary sales tax cut on food and beverages.