Japan’s Agriculture Minister Taku ETO on Wednesday announced his resignation after a backlash on an inappropriate remarks about rice.The ETO came into fire earlier this week, stating that it was “never buying rice” because supporters gave it to him, a comment that gave rise to public outrage amid national rice shortage and rising prices.
The price of a challenge for the government of Japan
Rice is a dominant meal in Japan, and ETO’s comment hit a nerve in a country where retail rice prices have doubled since last year.The ETO told reporters after resigning in the Prime Minister’s Office, “I made a very unfair remarks at a time when citizens are suffering from rice prices.”The government has implemented measures since March to curb rising prices, which involves releasing ton rice from its emergency stockpile, but these efforts have failed to get the results so far.Public support for Prime Minister Shigru Ishiba has also declined rapidly. According to a Codo News Poll released on Sunday, their approval rating has fallen to 27.4% below 32.6% last month.This poll showed that 87.1% of the respondents considered the government’s response to the rising rice prices inadequate.
