Japanese agricultural minister resigns over rice gaffe
Japanese Agriculture Minister Taku Eto resigned following controversial comments he made about rice during a fundraising event. He stated that he had “never bought rice” because of the quantity given to him by supporters, a statement that was deemed insensitive amidst rising food prices and challenges in rice production affecting low-income households. His remarks received backlash as rice prices have more than doubled in the past year, leading to a public outcry. Prime Minister shigeru Ishiba confronted Eto but chose not to dismiss him initially. Though, Eto later decided to resign, acknowledging that he coudl not resonate with the public regarding the rice crisis. Following his resignation, Shinjiro Koizumi was appointed as the new Agriculture Minister, emphasizing a consumer-focused approach to agricultural policy and pledging to address the situation by deploying additional emergency rice stockpiles to mitigate the price crisis.
Japanese agricultural minister resigns after saying he ‘never bought rice’
Japanese Minister of Agriculture Taku Eto stepped down from his office after making a remark about rice that many in the public found out of touch with budget-conscious consumers.
Eto allegedly told the audience at a fundraising party on Sunday that he has “never bought rice” due to the amount of it gifted to him.
“My supporters give me so much rice that, in the food pantry of my house, I have enough to sell it,” he allegedly told the crowd at the Liberal Democratic Party event in Saga Prefecture.
The comment went over like a lead balloon at a time when rice production woes and skyrocketing food prices are putting low-income households across the island nation in a difficult position.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba summoned Eto to his office on Monday for what could only have been a thorough tongue-lashing, but refrained from firing the minister.
“The agriculture minister’s current job is to give a solution to soaring rice prices, and I want him to do that,” he said on Tuesday after being asked about a possible termination.
Rice is a foundational staple of the Japanese diet. The price per bag has more than doubled over the past year and hit an all-time high in April. Opinion polls show the Japanese voting public pins the blame on mismanagement by the Ishiba government.
Officials and think tanks have offered a variety of explanations for the mess. Extreme temperatures negatively affected the 2023 crop yield. Federal policies meant to protect small farmers may be choking agricultural expansion. Tourism is booming, and the government says the influx is contributing to over-consumption.
The Japanese government deployed approximately 310,000 metric tons of emergency rice stockpiles in February, hoping to offset the runaway costs. The stockpiles, normally reserved for use following national disasters or similar extreme scenarios, did little to alleviate the situation.
By Wednesday, Eto offered his resignation. He said that internal soul-searching ultimately led him to believe he was not the right man to tackle the rice crisis.
“I wasn’t able to understand the feelings of the people,” said Eto after filing his resignation. “I personally judged I can’t be the one leading the endeavors to lower the price of rice.”
Shinjiro Koizumi, a former environment minister, slid in to helm the Ministry of Agriculture with a rice-first battle plan.
He arrived at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Wednesday to present his credentials to Emperor Naruhito and be recognized for the new role.
”What I have to focus on now is rice, as if I was the minister in charge of rice,” Koizumi said on Wednesday after meeting with the prime minister.
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“I feel that, so far, in Japan’s agricultural policy, too much consideration has been given to the interests of particular groups, when in fact, things should have been approached more from the perspective of consumers and everyday people,” said Koizumi. “This has caused delays in reform.”
The Japanese government announced last week that it will be deploying a further 300,000 tons of emergency rice stockpiles in the coming months as it tries to get the situation under control.
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