The now-former Agriculture Minister of Japan, Taku Etō, may go down as one of the most tone-deaf of the decade. Etō resigned in disgrace this week after publicly boasting that he had “never bought rice” because supporters regularly gifted him so much of it he could “practically sell it.”
His remarks, made during a fundraiser, hit a raw nerve in a country where rice prices have nearly doubled over the past year, adding to an already growing cost-of-living crisis.
Etō’s flippant comment came just months after the Japanese government released 300,000 tons of rice from emergency reserves in a desperate attempt to cool the market. But for many struggling families, relief never came. Instead, they were served a political soundbite that smacked of privilege and detachment.
“I asked myself whether it is appropriate for me to stay at the helm at a critical time for rice prices, and I concluded that it is not,” Etō told reporters at the prime minister’s office, offering a formal apology.
While Etō bowed out, the fallout is far from over. His resignation adds pressure on Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, whose administration is already under fire for its failure to manage inflation and ease household burdens. In a recent Kyodo News poll, 87% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the rice crisis.
Etō’s replacement, Shinjirō Koizumi, steps into the role as the country’s rice market reels from a perfect storm: poor harvests due to extreme weather, hoarding by distributors, and panic-buying following a 2024 “megaquake” warning. The crisis has even forced Japan to import rice from South Korea, a move not seen in over 25 years.
The political damage couldn’t come at a worse time. With upper house elections looming in July, the scandal has further eroded public trust in Ishiba’s leadership. His cabinet’s approval ratings are now at their lowest since he took office last October.
Meanwhile, Etō’s attempt to soften the blow by adding that his wife does sometimes buy rice “when the donated rice runs out” only added fuel to the fire.
“Extremely inappropriate, out of touch and intolerable,” said Junya Ogawa, secretary general of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party.
