TOKYO - Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivered an unusually harsh rebuke of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Kazuo Yana on October 13, describing his claims about cutting road budgets in areas that failed to support him as "inappropriate" and "really lame," while signaling that she would reconsider whether he should remain in office as opposition lawmakers intensified their demands for his dismissal.
The confrontation unfolded as the House of Representatives Budget Committee began deliberations on October 13, with Yana facing mounting criticism over remarks suggesting that government funding had been reduced in municipalities where local leaders had not supported him during the February 2026 general election.
Yana entered the committee room shortly after 10 a.m. with a tense expression, appearing increasingly uncomfortable as lawmakers from both the opposition and his own Liberal Democratic Party questioned his conduct.
The controversy centers on comments in which Yana claimed that road budgets had been substantially reduced for Nasukarasuyama City and Nakagawa Town in Tochigi Prefecture, where local mayors had not supported him in the February election.
During a campaign speech at the time, Yana had warned that areas losing representation from the ruling party could expect substantial reductions in government spending.
"The budgets of areas that lose their ruling-party representatives will be cut drastically," he said. "That is only natural, isn't it? The voters have decided they do not need a ruling-party lawmaker. Government offices and bureaucrats no longer have to hold back. They can cut budgets without hesitation."
The remarks have raised concerns that public spending could be used to reward political supporters and punish communities that vote against the governing party, undermining the principle that government resources should be distributed according to public need rather than political allegiance.
During the afternoon session, Komeito lawmaker Hiromasa Nakano called directly on Takaichi to replace Yana, arguing that a minister who claimed to have cut road funding for communities that did not support him was unfit to serve the public.
"I believe the very statement that he substantially cut road budgets for areas that did not support him demonstrates that he lacks the qualifications to be a minister," Nakano said. "That is far removed from the role of a public servant who serves the entire nation. Shouldn't he be replaced by someone more suitable?"
Takaichi responded with unusually direct criticism, departing from her previous position that Yana should remain in office.
"If what Minister Yana said in his local constituency is true, it is truly inappropriate and really lame," Takaichi said. "I will carefully consider whether someone who says such things should be allowed to administer government affairs."
She stopped short of announcing his dismissal, saying that her immediate priority was for Yana to explain his actions and fulfill his accountability to parliament and the public without disrupting the administration of agricultural policy.
"I want him first to fulfill his responsibility to explain matters properly in his own words," she said.
The use of the colloquial expression "dasai," meaning lame, uncool or embarrassing, was particularly striking in a formal parliamentary setting and underscored the prime minister's frustration with the controversy.
Yana listened with his head lowered and appeared visibly troubled afterward.
Pressure on the minister was not confined to the opposition. Earlier in the day, LDP lawmaker Norihisa Tamura unexpectedly changed his planned questions to confront Yana about the alleged budget cuts.
"I cannot believe that a politician would do something like reduce a budget for such a reason," Tamura said. "It is unthinkable. I want to know exactly what happened. I simply cannot believe it. Did you really do such a thing?"
Yana denied having requested any reduction in government spending and apologized for creating the impression that he had influenced budget allocations.
"There is absolutely no truth to the claim that I requested budget reductions," Yana said. "Nevertheless, I made remarks suggesting that I had exerted such influence. I once again withdraw those remarks, sincerely acknowledge that they were inappropriate, and offer my apologies."
Opposition lawmakers pressed Yana on whether he had contacted government officials about road funding in Nasukarasuyama and Nakagawa, questioning why he appeared particularly interested in the budgets of those two municipalities.
Tatsumaru Yamaoka of the Democratic Reform Association asked whether Yana had made similar inquiries about other communities through senior government officials or vice ministers.
Yana said he could not provide a precise account because he did not have records showing exactly how the inquiries had been conducted.
Yamaoka criticized the response, saying that the minister appeared to have neither memories nor records concerning the most important aspects of the controversy.
The questioning broadened when Yana acknowledged that his comments about government budgets had not been limited to a single political gathering.
Former Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Akira Nagatsuma, also of the Democratic Reform Association, asked whether Yana had made similar statements before the gathering of an LDP branch in Otawara City, Tochigi Prefecture, where the controversial remarks were made.
Yana replied that he had discussed budget-related matters at gatherings organized by other local party branches.
Nagatsuma argued that the admission raised doubts about attempts within the LDP to characterize the remarks as an isolated verbal mistake.
"Some people within the LDP seem to regard this as the kind of verbal slip made at a single gathering, but I don't think that is necessarily the case," Nagatsuma said.
He warned that allowing Yana to remain in office could strengthen public perceptions that communities risk losing government funding if they fail to support the ruling party.
"If he remains a minister, voters may come to believe there is some truth to the idea that budgets will be cut unless they support the LDP," Nagatsuma said. "I believe that would be harmful both to elections and to democracy."
Asked whether she shared those concerns, Takaichi rejected the suggestion that budget allocations could legitimately depend on political support.
"It must never be the case that budgets are cut because people do not support the LDP, and that is not what actually happens," she said.
Takaichi again urged Yana to give accurate and sincere answers, emphasizing that the committee proceedings were being televised and that the public deserved an explanation it could accept.
The agriculture minister also faced questions over separate allegations involving free transportation provided to supporters during a previous House of Representatives election.
Media reports have raised concerns that the use of complimentary shuttle buses to transport supporters may have violated the Public Offices Election Act.
Yana acknowledged that transportation had been provided but denied any wrongdoing, arguing that the buses were necessary for managing the event and did not constitute an illegal benefit or political donation.
"We regarded the transportation as indispensable for operating the venue," Yana said. "There was absolutely no intention to provide benefits or make donations."
Tamura was unconvinced that the explanation would resolve public concerns.
"When there are various suspicions, issues like this also attract media attention," he said. "I do not think it will be easy to dispel the public's doubts."
Yana also confirmed that a special team of ministry officials had been established to support him as the controversy continued.
Speaking at a news conference following a Cabinet meeting on the morning of October 13, he explained that the team was intended to strengthen his preparation for parliamentary questioning and responses to media coverage.
He said some ministry employees were handling matters connected to parliamentary proceedings and his responsibilities as agriculture minister.
The disclosure added another dimension to the controversy, with the minister facing questions over the use of administrative resources while defending himself against politically damaging allegations.
Meanwhile, Takaichi's Cabinet faced a separate controversy involving Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Seki, who was found to have held a political fundraising party inside a House of Representatives members' office building in violation of the chamber's internal rules.
Seki apologized at a news conference following the October 13 Cabinet meeting, saying he deeply regretted his conduct and would take care to prevent a recurrence.
"I will reflect seriously on this and exercise sufficient caution so that it does not happen again," he said.
According to a political funds report filed by the local party branch headed by Seki, the fundraising event took place in June 2024 inside the parliamentary office building.
The event generated 810,000 yen in revenue, while expenses at facilities including restaurants inside the building amounted to 81,957 yen, leaving a profit of 728,043 yen, or approximately 90% of the revenue.
Seki said he had personally concluded that a political fundraising party was somewhat different from an ordinary commercial transaction, an interpretation that led him to proceed with the event.
Both Seki and Yana entered the Cabinet for the first time when Takaichi formed her second reshuffled administration in September 2026.
Their appointments had already drawn attention because both had been associated with failures to report political funds in connection with the LDP faction fundraising scandal.
The latest revelations have created additional difficulties for the administration as it faces parliamentary scrutiny over ministerial conduct and political accountability.
Opposition parties have signaled that they intend to intensify their campaign against Yana, including the possibility of submitting a censure motion in the House of Councillors, where opposition lawmakers hold a majority.
Senior officials from Komeito and the Democratic Reform Association met on the morning of October 13 and agreed that further parliamentary action would depend on the adequacy of Yana's explanations.
Some opposition lawmakers have warned that they will pursue the matter thoroughly unless the minister resigns.
Democratic Reform Association Secretary-General Shinjiro Shina said Yana's conduct was unacceptable regardless of how the minister attempted to explain it.
"In any case, I believe this crosses the line," Shina said. "I frankly think he could choose to step down voluntarily."
The dispute now threatens to become an extended political confrontation over whether government spending decisions can be influenced by electoral considerations and whether Takaichi should bear responsibility for retaining a minister whose remarks have raised serious questions about his judgment.
Although Yana continues to deny having influenced actual budget reductions, his admission that he discussed funding issues at multiple political gatherings has complicated efforts to dismiss the controversy as a single inappropriate comment.
Takaichi's latest remarks also mark a significant shift from her earlier defense of the minister, leaving his political future increasingly uncertain.
The House of Representatives Budget Committee continued its deliberations beyond 4:50 p.m. on October 13, with questioning of Yana expected to resume on October 14.
Further sessions are scheduled in the House of Councillors on October 16 and October 19, providing opposition lawmakers with additional opportunities to challenge the minister's explanations and press the prime minister over her responsibility for his appointment.
Source: FNN
