Japan PM Takaichi taps Arata Takebe as new farm minister

TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi nominated Arata Takebe to be her new agriculture minister as she sought to contain the fallout from the first scandal-linked Cabinet resignation since she took power. Arata Takebe, a former vice-minister in the Agriculture Ministry who previously attended Chicago University, will take up the role after Kazuo Yana stood down Oct 14.Yana had been linked to allegations of circumventing electoral rules and threats to cut funding to localities that didn’t support him.“I nominated Mr Takebe because I believe he can jump right into the job, including handling parliamentary affairs, and excel as a person who has deep knowledge of agricultural administration,” Takaichi said to reporters on Oct 15. She added that she hoped to see Takebe use his expertise to help revitalise Japan’s agriculture and fisheries industries, develop rural areas, strengthen food security and advance Japan’s food technology. The premier had resisted earlier calls to have Yana step down over reports he claimed to have cut roadworks funding to municipalities that didn’t support him in February’s general election.The tide then turned after allegations surfaced that he might also have transgressed Japan’s strict electoral laws by arranging free transportation to an election kickoff rally, a move some media suggested was tantamount to vote-buying. A Bill to cut the sales tax on food items and beverages was set to be the main agenda of the current parliamentary session, but allegations over Yana’s misconduct have dominated the debate at times. “Minister Yana has submitted his resignation to the Prime Minister, stating that he cannot allow for his presence to cause further disruption to Diet deliberations and prevent him from focusing on the administration of agriculture,” top government spokesman Minoru Kihara said on Oct 15. Takaichi’s administration continues to receive relatively high public support and it isn’t clear whether Yana’s exit would reflect badly on her.The latest opinion poll by national broadcaster NHK puts her public support at 51%, a fraction down from September, but still above recent premiers.It remains to be seen if Yana’s resignation will be viewed by the public as an isolated case that Takaichi responded to swiftly and appropriately or if it will have a domino effect that unsettles her Cabinet. Speaking to reporters after his nomination on Oct 15, Takebe said the circumstances surrounding Yana’s resignation were “very unfortunate” and spoke of the need for transparency in agricultural policy. BLOOMBERG