December 22, 2020

Yoshikawa Takamori, former Agriculture Minister, on December 21 resigned as a Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker in the Lower House "for health reasons". Currently, he is under Tokyo prosecutors' special investigation on suspicion of receiving cash from an influential figure in the poultry industry while he was Agriculture Minister.

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira on the same day said to news reporters, "Yoshikawa is suspected of taking five million yen in cash in return for political favors. He should disclose all the facts. The LDP and the Suga government should also be held responsible for uncovering the truth. To brush the bribery scandal under the rug is unacceptable."

A cash giver lobbied against global "Animal Welfare" guidelines issued by the World Organization of Animal Health (OIE) so that poultry producers in Japan will not have to strictly comply with the international standards. The Japanese government submitted to the OIE an adverse opinion to meet this person's request.

Past related article:
> Ex-Agriculture Minister under suspicion of receiving cash-for-favor from poultry farmer [December 9, 2020]