TOKYO - Japan's farm minister said Wednesday he has returned a controversial donation and corrected the necessary political funds report amid claims the donation violated the public offices election law, in the latest allegations against a member of the Cabinet.
The move by Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Arata Takebe came after he said he would confirm the facts relating to a report from weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun claiming his local ruling Liberal Democratic Party branch office received a donation in the 2024 lower house election from a company undertaking public works.
It also came less than a week after Takebe replaced Kazuo Yana, who was effectively dismissed by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi amid allegations over his conduct in his constituency including possible violation of the same election law.
On becoming the second successive agriculture minister to become the target of allegations over conduct, Takebe said he is "deeply sorry," adding that he will "ensure that agricultural administration moves forward properly."
Earlier Wednesday, Takebe said he had "instructed" that money be returned or the political funds report be corrected depending on the results of an investigation into the case.
"I apologize for causing a stir," he said of the reports on the donation to the ruling LDP office in the constituency he represents on the northernmost main island Hokkaido.
The public offices election law prohibits entities in contracts with the national government from making donations related to national elections.
According to the political funds report for the LDP branch office, it received 300,000 yen ($1,900) from a maritime transport firm based in Mombetsu on Oct. 15, 2024, the first official day of campaigning for the House of Representatives election.
The land ministry's Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau said the company had won a bid to operate a harbor service vessel from the office of a port in the prefecture in April of the same year, with the October election taking place during the contracted period.
In his remarks to reporters in parliament on Wednesday morning, Takebe said he was "unaware at the time of receiving the donation that the company in question was engaged in public works."
Takebe became a Cabinet minister for the first time last Thursday. He is the son of Tsutomu Takebe, a former LDP secretary general.
