Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Tuesday reprimanded the farm minister for claiming he never buys rice because he gets it free, provoking the ire of consumers facing soaring prices.
Japan's government has released some of its emergency stockpile of the grain in recent months, with agriculture minister Taku Eto weeks ago lamenting the "hardship" experienced by consumers.
But addressing a gathering over the weekend, Eto said he has "never bought rice myself because my supporters donate so much to me that I can practically sell".
Eto's comment hit a nerve in a nation where the price of the much-loved grain has nearly doubled year-on-year, according to figures published in April.
The prime minister described the remarks as "extremely unfortunate".
"The agriculture minister's job now is to provide solutions to the soaring rice prices. I expect him to offer solutions," Ishiba told journalists as he arrived at his office.
Eto on Monday explained that he had exaggerated, incurring the wrath of his wife.
"She told me that she does go buy rice when a stockpile of donated rice runs out," Eto said, adding "it's not like our family is living entirely off of rice gifted to us".
On Tuesday, he said he had spoken to Ishiba and that he would continue as farm minister.
"The prime minister gave me very tough words but...also gave me warm words and told me to show the results of what I started," Eto said. "I am the one who decided the releases of the reserved rice. With your permission, I would like to continue until I can fulfil my responsibility."
Factors behind Japan's rice shortfall include poor harvests due to hot weather in 2023 and panic-buying prompted by a "megaquake" warning last year.
The agriculture minister's gaffe was criticized as "extremely inappropriate, out of touch and intolerable" by Junya Ogawa, secretary-general of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.
"If not properly dealt with, his remarks are serious enough to raise the question of whether he should step down," local media including public broadcaster NHK quoted him as saying.
© 2025 AFP
15 Comments
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wanderlust
Cash in brown envelopes, rice in brown sacks, party tickets in brown bags.
All on top of very high salaries. It's never ending....
HopeSpringsEternal
PM Ishiba has a serious 'image' problem, that he's proven unable to manage, so it's pretty hard to expect anyone else to take him seriously, especially the Trump Admin who views him as a 'relic' from the distant past.
grc
His remarks about his wife are surely digging the hole even deeper
sakurasuki
One of crucial mistake he made, it wasn't because he received those rice packages but he revealed on how others politicians in Japan might receive the same thing as him, that just the least thing.
Roger Gusain
His remarks about his wife are surely digging the hole even deeper
His wife apparently does all the shopping -- just like the US or the UK in the 1950s. I wonder if he has ever been to a supermarket?
browny1
Receiving a few 30kg bags of rice a year would not be out of the norm at all. In fact I'm sure he's been receiving gifted rice for years as many others would have - esp those living in regional areas.
Millions of people receive rice through family, friends, acquaintances, business deals etc.
The point of all of this is , as the farm minister who is in charge of the current rice debacle, uttering words stating to the effect we're lucky because our rice is presented not bought, just shows a chasm from the reality of ordinary people.
Any politician saying that - but the farm minister!!!!!!!
And to add manure to it all by uttering the following day that his wife is angry because we do buy rice.- - yeah sure.
LDP needs a thorough hosing out.
wallace
Although the government released 210,000 tons of reserve rice into the market, only about 10 percent has reached supermarkets and restaurants, equivalent to the nation’s average daily rice consumption.
Agent_Neo
It is unlikely that the current rice shortage is solely due to poor harvests and hoarding.
The government's rice stockpiles are no longer on the market, and have not led to a drop in prices.
Now that demand overseas is also increasing, it is time to end the rice production reduction policy or raise the JA purchase price.
Sanjinosebleed
He’s a very naughty boy….now can we get back to some serious graft and corruption?!
Ph'el
Fooling around with the market price just means the taxpayer will pay for it in the end. If you want to find a “solution” to the soaring rice prices, an obvious one is for the agricultural minister to propose eating substitutes. There are plenty of healthier alternatives to white rice.
Roger Gusain
Eto is living proof that the LDP only recruits the best and brightest. Our family is eating spuds from Hokkaido as an alternative to overpriced rice.
Peter14
This minister should be made to buy rice and give it away to his constituents as part of his punishment for accepting bribes of free rice. A few tonnes to start with.
@Japan Glimpsed
Aww. So tough for the Eto family. He's on over 11 million a year as a moron. Spare a tear.
@Japan Glimpsed
Ishiba may be (he is) incapable, but he's not a sociopath- the sort of animal you admire, HSE
Simon Foston
Ugh. If I ever have to be in the same part of Miyazaki as the people who've voted for this individual and his even more loathsome father, I'll bring a HASMAT suit, or a gas mask with a steady oxygen supply. I don't want to breathe any air they've exhaled into, or have any kind of contact with their DNA.