As parliament begins its autumn session, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi finds herself forced to deal with a sudden political scandal involving the agriculture minister, one that could further complicate the government’s efforts to pass its legislative agenda and raise questions about her judgment and leadership. Agriculture minister Kazuo Yana, who was appointed to the post last month, is now the center of a controversy following reports he drastically cut the road budgets of municipalities in Tochigi Prefecture whose mayors did not support him in February’s Lower House election. According to an audio recording from May revealed last Wednesday, Yana told a May meeting of his local Liberal Democratic Party branch office that the reductions were made after the mayors of Nakagawa and Nasukarasuyama failed to support him in the February election.
It was confirmed Tuesday afternoon by the transport ministry that their road budgets were cut to about half compared with the fiscal year 2025.
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