Agriculture Minister Shin Takeda, whose campaign and political funding practices have been questioned in weekly magazine reports, told the Upper House agriculture and fisheries committee on Thursday that he would keep confirming the facts and explaining them. Opposition lawmakers said that response was not enough and demanded a focused committee session on his funding.
"I have checked the facts one by one and explained them so far," Takeda said, according to Nikkan Sports. "I will continue to confirm the necessary facts and fulfill my accountability, and work to promote transparent and fair agricultural administration."
Eri Tokunaga of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan said she was unconvinced. She cited a new report in the weekly Shukan Bunshun about an alleged illegal donation involving scallops, and said Takeda's pattern of saying he did not know, then correcting the record, then returning money could not be the end of the matter.
“"'I didn't know,' 'I corrected it,' 'I returned it' — that is not where this ends."”Eri Tokunaga, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker
Tokunaga said six or seven suspicions had now been raised and that it had to be established which were illegal and which were not. She asked that all documents needed to verify the reported allegations be submitted to the committee.
Takeda said he had confirmed the facts and explained them sincerely each time the weekly magazine reported on his political activities. On the documents, he said he would act according to the committee's judgment. He gave no indication he intended to resign.
Tokunaga said public criticism was growing online, including calls for him to step down, and asked the committee to hold a focused session on the minister's money and politics. She also warned that bills come before the committee in next year's ordinary Diet session, and that without trust between the two sides the committee could not take them up.
The committee chair said the request would be discussed at a meeting of the committee's board.