Japanese farm minister resigns following gaffe over rice

Japanese farm minister Taku Eto resigned on Wednesday after remarks he made about rice triggered a firestorm of criticism from voters and lawmakers, posing a fresh challenge to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s embattled government.

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Mr. Eto has been in hot water since media reports exposed comments he made at a weekend political fundraising party that he had “never had to buy rice” thanks to gifts from supporters.

The comment led to a frenzy of criticism from voters, already angry about the historically high price of the staple food due to a poor harvest and elevated demand from a boom in tourism.

“I made an extremely inappropriate remark at a time when citizens are suffering from soaring rice prices,” Mr. Eto told reporters after handing in his resignation at the prime minister's office.

Mr. Ishiba appointed former environment minister Shinjiro Koizumi as his replacement at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), saying he was counting on his reform-minded stance to produce results.

“Mr. Koizumi is someone who has experience, insights, and passion for reforms on agriculture and fisheries,” Mr. Ishiba said.