Tokyo, Oct. 14 (Jiji Press)–Embattled Japanese agriculture minister Kazuo Yana submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday. Yana did this when he met with Takaichi at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo. He told reporters later that he decided to step down from his ministerial post because he “should not hinder parliamentary deliberations any further.” It has been learned that Yana’s camp provided supporters with free shuttle bus transportation during the campaign period for the House of Representatives election in February, in possible violation of the public offices election law. He has also been slammed for suggesting that road-related budgets had been cut in municipalities whose mayors did not support him in the Feb. 8 Lower House poll. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
