Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's point man for a massive Pacific trade pact is defending his job after giving incense sticks to voters, the latest example of how even the whiff of scandal can threaten policymaking in Japan.

Toshimitsu Motegi, the economy minister who last month shepherded the revised Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal to an 11-way agreement, is facing calls to resign over allegations he breached campaign laws. The accusation: handing out incense sticks.

Motegi said that a secretary distributed the incense — an everyday item that many Japanese burn in their homes to honor deceased relatives — and denied breaking the law. "There's nothing illegal in this matter," he told reporters at a regular briefing Friday.