Japanese minister resigns after saying he doesn’t buy rice

Japan's agriculture minister has resigned. Taku Etō made a controversial remark about rice. He said he never buys rice because he receives it for free. This comment angered the public amid rising food prices.

Etō's resignation puts pressure on Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Voters are frustrated with Ishiba's failure to control soaring rice prices. The country faces a broader cost of living crisis ahead of elections in July.

Etō announced his resignation at the prime minister’s office. He faced backlash after claiming he relies on gifts from supporters for rice. Earlier, he expressed sympathy for consumers struggling with high prices.

The government released 300,000 tons of emergency rice stock earlier this year. This was an attempt to lower prices but did not succeed. At a fundraiser, Etō stated he had "never bought rice" due to donations.

He was replaced by Shinjirō Koizumi, a former environment minister. Koizumi previously ran against Ishiba for the Liberal Democratic Party leadership.

Consumers are upset as rice prices have nearly doubled in one year. Etō acknowledged that it was inappropriate for him to remain in his position during this crisis. He apologized for his comments while people struggle with rising costs.

Japan's rice shortfall is due to poor harvests and panic-buying fears from a future earthquake warning. Wholesalers may also be hoarding stocks anticipating further shortages.

Ishiba has apologized for Etō’s remarks as well. The ongoing rice crisis and rising bills have hurt Ishiba’s popularity before upcoming elections. A recent survey showed 87% of respondents dissatisfied with the government's handling of rice prices.

Approval ratings for Ishiba’s cabinet have dropped since he took office last October. The average price of 5kg of rice reached ¥4,268 ($29) recently, nearly double last year's price.

In April, Japan imported rice from South Korea for the first time in 25 years to address consumer anger. Junya Ogawa from the opposition party called Etō's comments “extremely inappropriate and out of touch.”

Etō admitted his remarks even upset his wife, who does buy rice when donations run out.