Japan PM Takaichi replaces agriculture minister over funding row

The leadership change comes as Takaichi moves to contain a political controversy that threatened to damage her administration's standing. Yana's comments regarding the conditional allocation of infrastructure funding based on political support drew sharp criticism from opposition lawmakers and civil society groups.

The agriculture minister's remarks were seen as an inappropriate use of government resources for political purposes, violating principles of impartial public administration. The incident prompted swift action from the prime minister's office to distance the government from the controversial position.

Takaichi, who took office with pledges to strengthen governance standards, acted decisively to prevent the controversy from escalating further. The replacement signals her commitment to maintaining discipline within the cabinet and upholding public trust in government institutions.

A successor to the agriculture ministry has not yet been announced. The incident highlights ongoing tensions within Japanese politics regarding the proper use of state resources and the separation of political and administrative functions.