Japan farm minister retracts comment on rice amid rising prices
Japanese agriculture minister Eto Taku has retracted a comment he made about rice over the weekend. Eto apologized and suggested that he would remain in his post.
Eto made the remark during a speech in the city of Saga on Sunday, when talking about how to speed up the distribution of rice from government stockpiles in an effort to bring down skyrocketing prices.
Eto said: "I have never bought rice myself. Frankly, my supporters give me quite a lot of rice. I have so much rice at home that I could sell it."
Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru told reporters on Monday that, as the person who appointed Eto, he apologizes deeply.
Ishiba said there is no rice in some stores, and, even if there is, it is very expensive. He said consumers are angry and worried. He described Eto's comment as "extremely problematic."
Eto spoke to reporters after he was summoned to the prime minister's office and reprimanded by Ishiba. Eto said he was told to reflect on the matter seriously and to continue making efforts to bring down rice prices.
Opposition lawmakers appear poised to grill Eto over his remark at a Diet committee meeting on Tuesday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Times
an hour ago
- Japan Times
U.S. envoy plays down Washington-Tokyo trade row
U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass played down concerns over the U.S.-Japan trade row Friday, but emphasized the need for Tokyo to contribute more on the security front. Speaking to business leaders and political heavyweights in Tokyo, Glass dismissed concerns that tensions over unilateral U.S. tariffs could lead to a repeat of the trade war between the two countries in the 1980s. 'I know that some of us who would look at our current trade negotiations and see trouble ahead for the great alliance. That can't be further from the truth,' Glass said, adding that the United States and Japan have 'an alliance greater than any one set of trade talks or defense negotiations.' Glass' remarks came as Japan's chief tariff negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, met with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in Washington for a fifth round of trade talks. Glass called for further U.S.-Japan cooperation against 'a coercive and corrupt China' as Beijing strengthens ties with Russia, North Korea and Iran, spreading disruption in the region. While applauding the Self-Defense Forces' launch of its Joint Operations Command in March — as well as Tokyo's commitments to increase defense spending — Glass also echoed the demands made by U.S. President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that Japan contribute more to the two countries' security alliance. In a speech on May 31 outlining U.S. defense strategy in Asia, Hegseth urged America's Asian allies to spend 5% of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defense, saying that 'it doesn't make sense for countries in Europe to do that while key allies in Asia spend less." Japan is aiming to raise defense spending to 2% of GDP by fiscal 2027. 'We are prepared to ask our warriors to stand in harm's way, but to do that, we must equip them for that mission,' Glass said, insisting that the codevelopment, production and sustainment of systems and equipment is crucial for the allies. Glass has been busy since touching down in late April, meeting top officials and business leaders and visiting Japanese cities home to U.S. military bases. He toured Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture on Wednesday, meeting U.S. and Japanese service members, who he said demonstrated their full commitment to confronting adversaries, namely China. Glass' antagonistic stance toward China was reminiscent of his predecessor, Rahm Emanuel –– an unexpected approach from an ambassador who was initially expected to act more like a businessman than a political operator. On Thursday, Glass had a tit-for-tat exchange on X with Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao and wrote, 'The United States welcomes students committed to learning and expanding their minds — like all those who fled China for the United States after the Tiananmen Square Massacre.'
Japan Times
an hour ago
- Japan Times
Ishiba eager to submit disaster agency bill next year
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba urged members of his Cabinet Friday to accelerate preparations for submitting a bill to establish a disaster management agency to next year's ordinary session of the Diet, the country's parliament. At a meeting of a ministerial council on disaster management held at the prime minister's office, Ishiba also called for the promotion of talks on setting up regional offices of the agency to enhance support for developing antidisaster measures tailored to the specific circumstances of each region. The government aims to launch the disaster management agency within fiscal 2026. On Wednesday, a government panel of experts compiled a report proposing that the agency be placed under the direct supervision of the cabinet, have a dedicated minister and be given the right to issue recommendations to other government agencies.
Japan Times
an hour ago
- Japan Times
Japan law comes into force to extend nuclear plant lifespans
A law allowing nuclear reactors to operate beyond 60 years took effect in Japan on Friday, as the government turns back to atomic energy 14 years after the Fukushima catastrophe. The world's fourth-largest economy is targeting carbon neutrality by 2050 but remains heavily reliant on fossil fuels — partly because many nuclear reactors were taken offline after the meltdown at the Fukushima No. 1 plant. The government now plans to increase its reliance on nuclear power, in part to help meet growing energy demand from artificial intelligence and microchip factories. The 60-year limit was brought in after the 2011 disaster, which was triggered by a devastating earthquake and tsunami in off the Tohoku coast. Under the amended law, nuclear plants' operating period may be extended beyond 60 years to compensate for stoppages caused by "unforeseeable circumstances," the government says. This means, for example, that one reactor in Fukui Prefecture, suspended for 12 years after the Fukushima crisis, will now be able to operate up until 2047 — 72 years after its debut, the Asahi Shimbun daily reported. But operators require approval from the country's nuclear safety watchdog for the exemption. The law also includes measures intended to strengthen safety checks at aging reactors. The legal revision is also aimed at helping Japan better cope with power crunches, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine sparked energy market turmoil. Japan's Strategic Energy Plan had previously vowed to "reduce reliance on nuclear power as much as possible." But this pledge was dropped from the latest version approved in February, which includes an intention to make renewables the country's top power source by 2040. Under the plan, nuclear power will account for around 20% of Japan's energy supply by 2040 — up from 5.6% in 2022. Also in February, Japan pledged to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 60% in the next decade from 2013 levels, a target decried by campaigners as far short of what was needed under the Paris Agreement to limit global warming. Japan is the world's fifth largest emitter of carbon dioxide after China, the United States, India and Russia.
