Japanese agriculture minister apologises after saying he has ‘never had to buy rice’

TOKYO – Japan’s agriculture minister Taku Eto apologised on May 19 after saying he has “never had to buy rice” thanks to gifts from supporters, angering consumers grappling with sky-high prices of the staple food.

After Kyodo News first reported the remarks, made during a political fundraising party on May 18, other local media quickly followed, sending social media into a frenzy of angry comments.

“You are done. Hurry up and resign,” one user posted on X.

Responding to reporters’ questions on May 19, Mr Eto apologised, saying he had misspoken and may have exaggerated to please the crowd. He skirted a question about whether he intends to step down.

Footage aired by public broadcaster NHK showed Mr Eto at a lectern making the comments at the event on May 18, including how he “had enough (rice) to sell”.

“I just got scolded by my wife over the phone,” he told reporters. “It’s just the two of us so we generally have enough, but she told me that when we run out, she actually does go out and buy rice.”

The reaction to his comments underscores the extent to which rice has become a hot-button topic for voters, boding ill for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party ahead of key upper house elections in July.

A Kyodo News opinion poll on May 18 showed support for Mr Ishiba at a

record low 27.4 per cent

, with nearly nine out of 10 voters dissatisfied with the government’s response to soaring rice prices.

Retail prices for Japan’s staple grain are about double what they were a year ago after extreme heat hit crops and a tourism boom added to demand.

The government has been releasing rice from its emergency stockpile since March to try and lower prices, but to little avail. REUTERS