TOKYO, July 31 (UPI) -- Japanese Agriculture Minister Norihiko Akagi, facing a political fund scandal, quit Wednesday, taking the blame for the ruling coalition's election setback.
Kyodo news service reported Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose Liberal Democratic Party-led ruling coalition lost its majority in the upper house of Parliament this week, accepted the resignation and asked Environment Minister Masatoshi Wakabayashi to also assume Akagi's post.
Akagi, who had just become minister in June, apologized for the election defeat and said, "Given such and other developments, I thought I may as well bring this matter to rest," Kyodo reported.
He had come under attack for allegedly not fully addressing allegations about the management of the political fund. Kyodo, quoting sources, said Abe had decided even prior to the resignation to let Akagi go for creating public distrust.
Abe's Cabinet has now lost four of its members since he became prime minister in September, the report said.
Prior to Akagi, Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma had resigned after his remarks about the U.S. atomic bombing of Japan angered survivors.
