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  5. Japan's agriculture minister resigns over his comment about buying rice

Japan's agriculture minister resigns over his comment about buying rice

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Japan's Agriculture Minister Taku Eto has resigned due to a gaffe that sparked a firestorm of criticism. At a seminar in Saga prefecture, Eto commented that he "never had to buy rice" because his supporters gave it to him as gifts. This statement was seen as insensitive to the current rice situation, with retail prices having doubled since last year. Eto's resignation was announced on Wednesday, and he stated that he was "not the right person for this role." The resignation adds to the pressure on Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's minority government, which is already facing criticism over the high cost of staple food.

  1. JP
    Taku Eto
    Liberal Democractic Party
    1. I have never bought rice myself. Frankly, my supporters give me quite a lot of rice. I have so much rice at home that I could sell it.
    2. I asked myself whether it is appropriate for me to stay at the helm [of the agriculture ministry] at a critical time for rice prices, and I concluded that it is not.
    3. Once again, I apologise to people for making extremely inappropriate comments as minister when they are struggling with surging rice prices.
  2. JP
    Shigeru Ishiba
    Liberal Democractic Party
    1. I bear full responsibility for making the appointment.
    2. I have instructed Mr. Koizumi to make strong efforts to supply rice to consumers at a stable price, especially in light of the current high rice prices.
    3. Mr Koizumi is someone who has experience, insights, and passion for reforms on agriculture and fisheries.
  3. JP
    Hiroshi Shiratori
    Hosei University
    1. The decision to replace him only after five opposition parties had planned their no-confidence motion was too slow, exposing Prime Minister Ishiba's lack of leadership.
    2. Minister Eto's resignation was inevitable from the moment the gaffe occurred.

sources

  1. 1.The Guardian
  2. 2.NPR
  3. 3.The Times of India
  4. 4.ABC News (Australia)
  5. 5.CNN
  6. 6.Associated Press
  7. 7.Kyodo News Agency
  8. 8.Reuters

perspectives

  1. 1.Inflation
  2. 2.Japanese Politics
  3. 3.Food industry
  4. 4.Japanese economy
  5. 5.Japan under Shigeru Ishiba

countries

  1. 1.JapanJP
  2. 2.Korea, Republic ofKR

organizations

  1. 1.Liberal Democractic Party
  2. 2.Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan
  3. 3.Hosei University
  4. 4.Kanda University of International Studies
  5. 5.Ministry of Agriculture

persons

  1. 1.Shigeru IshibaJP
  2. 2.Taku EtoJP
  3. 3.Shinjiro KoizumiJP
  4. 4.Michiko Ueno
  5. 5.Hiroshi ShiratoriJP
  6. 6.Manami Yamada
  7. 7.Yoshihide Suga