Japanese minister claims he doesn’t buy rice but gets free, resigns

Tokyo: Japan’s agriculture minister has resigned after triggering a row stating that he does not buy rice but gets it as gift.

Taku Etō’s resignation comes amid the soaring food prices, which has begun putting pressure on the Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, The Guardian reported. 

Increasing cost of living in the country has fueled public anger ahead of elections to the upper house in July.

Etō told reporters outside the prime minister’s office that he had submitted resignation to Ishiba.

There were widespread calls for his resignation following his comment that he never had to buy rice but got it as gifts from supporters.

In order to bring down prices, the government released about 300,000 tons of rice from emergency stockpiles earlier this year.

However, Etō who had sympathized with people’s ‘hardships’ told a fundraiser campaign last weekend that he ‘never bought rice myself because my supporters donate so much to me that I can practically sell it’.

The country’s former environment minister Shinjirō Koizumi replaces Etō on Wednesday.

Shinjirō Koizumi previously unsuccessfully took on Ishiba for the Liberal Democratic party (LDP).

People who are left with no choice but pay nearly double for a bag of rice compared with a year ago got enraged by the minister’s self-applauding comment.

However, Etō said that his comment at a critical time was not appropriate as he was helming the agriculture ministry, according to the Kyodo news agency.

‘Once again, I apologise to people for making extremely inappropriate comments as minister when they are struggling with surging rice prices,’ he was quoted as saying.

Several factors including poor harvest from hot weather in 2023 contributed to Japan’s rice crisis.

Alongside, panic buying triggered by a ‘megaquake’ warning in 2024 added to the crisis.

As part of placating growing consumer anger, Japan imported rice in April from South Korea for the first time in 25 years.