Second minister in a week resigns from Japan cabinet

Japan’s justice minister stepped down on Thursday – the second resignation from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s newly formed cabinet in less than a week – after a media report that his office gave out gifts such as potatoes and corn to constituents.

Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai’s abrupt resignation came six days after that of former trade and industry minister, Isshu Sugawara, who had been accused of election law violations by allegedly giving gifts of melons and crabs to voters in his Tokyo constituency.

Both men were first-time cabinet ministers, but while their resignations may be an embarrassment to Abe just weeks before he becomes Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, they are unlikely to cause lasting damage due a lack of strong rivals and a weak opposition, analysts said.

Via Reuters