Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday accepted the resignation of farm minister Koya Nishikawa, under fire in the Diet over a political funding scandal, and named former agricultural minister Yoshimasa Hayashi as his successor.
Abe told reporters shortly before 6 p.m. at his office that he had reluctantly accepted Nishikawa's resignation.
According to Abe, Nishikawa said the scandal was damaging the Cabinet and taking up important time in the Diet.
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