Japan's agriculture minister, Taku Etō, has submitted resignation after his insensitive remark about rice drew public backlash.
Amid the increase in food prices and food scarcity, the 64-year-old minister made a comment saying he never buys rice because he gets it for free.
On Wednesday, May 21, Taku informed press at the prime minister's office, "just now I submitted my resignation to prime minister Ishiba."
The resignation has reportedly increased the pressure on prime minister Shigeru Ishiba, whose failure to control soaring rice prices has angered voters ahead of upper house elections in July.
Taku had initially sympathised with the "hardship" faced by consumers after the government released around 300,000 tons of rice from emergency stockpiles earlier this year in the hope of bringing down prices.
However speaking at a fundraiser last weekend, Taku said that he had "never bought rice myself because my supports donated so much to me that I can practically sell it."
He will be replaced by Shinjirō Koizumi, a former environment minister who ran unsuccessfully againsty Ishiba for the Liberal Democratic party (LDP) leadership last autumn.
Japan's rice shortfall
Japan's rice shortage has been blamed on number of factors including poor harvest due hot weather in 2023, and panic buying caused by a "megaquake" warning in 2024.
In April, Japan was forced to import rice from South Korea for the first time in 25 years, in an attempt to address the growing consumers frustration.
