Former Japanese farm minister Kazuo Yana distributed free headbands during a campaign kickoff ceremony in his constituency for the February general election, people with knowledge of the matter said Tuesday, in what could amount to an election law violation.Japan's public offices election law prohibits the provision of gifts or benefits to voters, even though experts cite the difficulty of drawing a line between what specific behavior should and should not constitute an act of vote-buying.Multiple participants who attended the ceremony held in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, on Jan. 27,…READ FULL ARTICLE
