"I've received so much from my supporters that I could sell it," remarks spark controversy
Apologizes, saying "I lacked consideration for consumers"
As rice prices in Japan continue to soar, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, who is responsible for rice policy, came under heavy criticism after stating that he "has never bought rice." He later bowed his head in apology, admitting that he "lacked consideration."
According to Kyodo News and NHK on the 19th, Taku Eto, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, commented on rice reserves at a ruling Liberal Democratic Party political fundraising event held in Saga City, Saga Prefecture, Kyushu the previous day. He said, "I have never bought rice. My supporters give me a lot of rice. I have enough at home to sell."
Kyodo News reported that, given the increasing burden on the public due to rising rice prices, such remarks from the minister responsible for rice price stabilization are likely to draw criticism for being inappropriate.
In fact, a local newspaper article reporting these remarks on the Japanese portal site Yahoo Japan had received about 13,000 comments by 1:30 p.m. on this day. Most of the comments criticized the remarks as careless and irresponsible.
In response, Minister Eto met with reporters that day and explained, "Saying I have enough to sell was an excessive statement," and admitted, "I lacked consideration for consumers." He also changed his statement, saying that he regularly purchases rice. He apologized, saying, "I deeply regret causing a stir by making remarks that did not reflect the actual situation."
However, Minister Eto indicated that he would not resign, stating, "I intend to make amends by delivering results." Saito Tetsuo, leader of the junior coalition partner Komeito, pointed out regarding Eto's remarks, "It is extremely important for a minister in charge of a policy that is of greatest interest to the public to refrain from making statements that could cause misunderstanding."
In Japan, a survey released on the 12th showed that rice prices had declined slightly for the first time in 18 weeks. However, compared to the same period last year, prices remain more than twice as high. With rice prices nearly doubling over the past year, reports indicate that rice theft incidents have also surged. According to the Yomiuri Shimbun on the 14th, Ibaraki Prefecture police had received reports of 14 rice theft cases, totaling 4.5 tons in losses, from farm warehouses and other locations between January and the end of April this year. This already exceeds half of last year's annual total of 25 cases.
The Japanese government has been releasing rice reserves one after another to increase supply, but has faced criticism for acting too late. In a public opinion poll conducted by Kyodo News on May 17-18, 87.1% of respondents said that government policies on the sharp rise in rice prices were insufficient. The high price of rice is also cited as one of the reasons why the approval rating for the Shigeru Ishiba cabinet has not rebounded.
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