Rice Joke Costs Japanese Minister His Job

Japanese Agriculture Minister Resigns After Rice Price Joke Backlash Saga, Japan – In a surprising turn of events, Taku Eto, Japan's Minister of Agriculture, resigned this week following a controversial joke he made about the soaring price of rice. The incident unfolded during a public gathering in Saga on May 18th. Eto's comment, suggesting he didn't need to buy rice because he received so much from supporters, was met with widespread criticism. The price of rice has nearly doubled in the past year, causing significant hardship for many Japanese citizens. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida responded swiftly, describing Eto's remarks as "extremely regrettable." The government's efforts to mitigate the crisis include the release of emergency rice reserves in February. The high prices are attributed to poor harvests in 2023, exacerbated by panic buying fueled by warnings of megadroughts. "It was a very insensitive comment given the current economic climate," said one resident of Saga. Eto later apologized and attempted to justify his words, claiming he had exaggerated. However, his apology proved insufficient to quell the public outrage, leading to his resignation on May 21st. The incident highlights the profound significance of rice in Japanese culture and the government's ongoing struggle to manage the food crisis.