Internal affairs minister Minoru Terada, a close aide to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, is facing growing calls to resign as another political fund scandal involving him has emerged.
The controversy has emerged less than a month after two ministers of the Kishida Cabinet were effectively sacked for gaffes and close ties with the controversial Unification Church.
The online edition of the Shukan Bunshun weekly magazine reported Wednesday that Terada "falsely reported" to a local government that he covered a part of his gasoline and other expenses related to the Lower House election last year, worth around ¥1 million ($7,000), which was actually paid by one of his support groups.