The revolving door at Japan’s farm ministry has just spun again with the resignation of Agriculture Minister Takehiko Endo over shady dealings of a farmer’s group he headed (originally reported on here by Overoften), a mere one week after the appointment of a new cabinet by Prime Minister Shinzo. This is seen by some as one more stake in the heart of the beleaguered PM’s administration, the days of which also may be numbered.

Agriculture Minister Takehiko Endo admitted on Saturday that a farmers’ aid group he headed had illegally taken 1.15 million yen ($9,900) from the state and that he had failed to disclose this to the prime minister before his appointment.

The 68-year-old Endo, who had been reluctant to take over the ill-fated post, confirmed his resignation at a news conference on Monday after meeting Abe at his official residence.

The Agriculture Ministry has seen three different ministers come and go over a short period of time recently.

Abe’s first appointee to the portfolio committed suicide over a separate scandal and the second was fired over reports of discrepancies in his political funding records.

Two other ministers in Abe’s first cabinet were forced to resign over gaffes or scandals.

Update —————- September 3

Yukiko Sakamoto, Prime Minister Abe’s appointment as parliamentary secretary for foreign affairs, also resigned today to take responsibility for expense reporting irregularities in the political fund reports of her support organizations.

Sakamoto is not the first LDP appointee to be caught with double or triple submission of the same receipt, which seems to be common practice among LDP politicians.