Former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi Appointed as Successor
Taku Eto, Japan's Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, is responding to questions from members of the House of Councillors Budget Committee on the 19th. He was the first official in the Ishiba Cabinet to be dismissed after facing public criticism on the 21st for remarks related to rice. Photo by Yonhap News
On May 21, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba dismissed Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Taku Eto, who had faced public criticism for remarks related to rice. This controversy is expected to deal another blow to Prime Minister Ishiba, whose approval rating has already been shaken by the recent surge in rice prices.
According to local media outlets such as Kyodo News and NHK, Prime Minister Ishiba accepted the resignation submitted by Minister Eto on this day. This marks the first effective cabinet dismissal since the Ishiba Cabinet was formed in October of last year. After submitting his resignation, Eto told reporters, "I made an extremely inappropriate remark while people are suffering from the sharp rise in rice prices," and added, "Once again, I sincerely apologize."
On May 18, at a political fundraising event for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party held in Saga Prefecture, Eto made comments about rice reserves, stating, "I have never bought rice. Supporters give me plenty. I have enough at home to sell."
These remarks came amid a recent surge in rice prices in Japan. The average retail price for a 5kg bag of rice in Japan has soared to 4,268 yen (about 40,977 won), which is double the price from a year ago. As a result, Korean rice has drawn attention as an alternative, leading to an increase in exports of domestically produced rice. Although foreign rice imported into Japan is subject to a weight-based tariff, which raises the price, the high price of Japanese rice has made such imports appear advantageous.
Initially, Prime Minister Ishiba appeared likely to simply warn Eto and retain him in his post, but as public criticism persisted and opposition parties began to discuss submitting a no-confidence motion against the minister, Ishiba ultimately judged that dismissal was unavoidable. Meeting with reporters at the Prime Minister's Office, Ishiba said regarding the dismissal, "As the person with the authority to appoint, the responsibility is mine."
Former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has been appointed as Eto's successor. Upon being notified of his appointment as the new Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Koizumi stated, "I will do my utmost to respond quickly and effectively to the surge in rice prices," as he entered the Prime Minister's Office. Koizumi had previously served as election strategy chief at the launch of the Ishiba Cabinet, but resigned after the defeat in the House of Representatives election in October of last year. He has held executive positions in the Liberal Democratic Party's agricultural affairs division, giving him expertise in agricultural policy.
Foreign media noted that Prime Minister Ishiba, already facing political difficulties due to low cabinet approval ratings ahead of the House of Councillors election in July, is likely to see this incident as another setback. Kyodo News pointed out, "This election is a crucial contest that the ruling coalition must win," and added, "It is the first election since the ruling party lost its majority in the House of Representatives last year."
Meanwhile, it was found that the 210,000 tons of government rice reserves released through a bidding process in March to respond to soaring rice prices are still in the distribution stage before reaching retailers. In response, the Japanese government is requesting the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (JA Zen-Noh), which won more than 90% of the March bid, to expedite supply expansion.
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