Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is facing severe resistance from his ruling Liberal Democratic Party on plans to potentially scrap import tariffs on some of Japan's "sacred five" agricultural products.
Abe aims to harness Japan's competitiveness to end its economic malaise through the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.
The new development came to light Sunday when Koya Nishikawa, chairman of the LDP's TPP committee, said in Indonesia that tariffs on the five would be reviewed. The TPP talks were held on the resort island of Bali.