Japan’s Agriculture Minister resigns over controversial rice comment

KATHMANDU: Japan’s Agriculture Minister Taku Ito resigned on Wednesday following public outrage over a controversial remark in which he claimed he “never needed to buy rice” because he received plenty of it as gifts from supporters.

Ito’s comment, made amid soaring living costs, drew widespread criticism for being insensitive to the struggles of ordinary Japanese citizens dealing with inflation.

The backlash has dealt a fresh blow to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba ahead of this summer’s crucial House of Councillors election.

Since taking office late last year, Prime Minister Ishiba’s approval ratings have plummeted to their lowest level.

Ito is the first minister to step down from Ishiba’s cabinet for reasons other than losing his seat in last October’s general election.

Despite initially backing Ito earlier this week, pressure on the Prime Minister to act intensified as public and political calls for the minister’s resignation mounted.

According to government sources, Ishiba is now preparing to appoint Shinjiro Koizumi as the new Minister of Agriculture.