Japan’s prime minister appointed Kazuo Yana as agriculture, forestry and fisheries minister last month but openly chided him in parliament over his remarks on road funding. (AFP pic)TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has decided to replace farm minister Kazuo Yana, who had come under fire for his remarks about slashing road funding for municipalities that did not support him, the Mainichi newspaper reported on Wednesday.
His resignation would mark the first for the administration of Takaichi, whose popularity has remained at relatively high levels since she took her post a year ago.
Takaichi appointed Yana in a cabinet reshuffle last month to lead the ministry overseeing agriculture, forestry and fisheries, but had openly chided him in parliament for the remarks over the road funding, which local media first reported earlier this month.
