Koya Nishikawa, a special adviser to the Cabinet, has resigned, the government said Tuesday, following revelations that he went on a boating trip hosted by the former head of a major egg farm in western Japan, who was involved in a separate bribery scandal.
Nishikawa, former farm minister, is believed to have also received several million yen from the same farm, according to people familiar with the matter, dealing a blow to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who has seen his Cabinet's support ratings plummet amid criticism over his response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Nishikawa began serving as an adviser to Akita Foods Co. in Hiroshima Prefecture in January 2018, and Tokyo prosecutors are believed to be investigating whether accepting the money from the company since 2018 created a conflict with his job as special adviser to the Cabinet. The money was not included in his political funds reports.