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Japan Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
Opposition chief sorry for calling gov't reserve rice 'animal feed'
Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the increasingly popular opposition party in Japan, apologized Saturday for having referred to the government's rice stockpiles as "animal feed," days after drawing criticism on social media. Tamaki, who heads the Democratic Party for the People, said on a TV program, "I regret that I caused discomfort to those who have been waiting for the government's stockpiled rice" amid soaring prices of the Japanese staple food, adding, "I would like to apologize." During a parliamentary session on Wednesday, Tamaki, whose party has pitched policies aimed at appealing to younger voters, said, "Even if you say you're selling at a low price something that would end up as animal feed in a year, it's not something people truly need." Tamaki was apparently pointing to stockpiled rice from the 2021 harvest, which the government is releasing to the public in an effort to curb surging prices across the country. On Saturday, Hiroshi Moriyama, secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said at a meeting in Kagoshima Prefecture, where agriculture is a core industry, that Tamaki was "disrespectful to the farmers who put their heart and soul into their work." Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, also criticized Tamaki's remark at a press conference on Friday, calling it "not appropriate." © KYODO
The Mainichi
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Opposition chief sorry for calling gov't reserve rice "animal feed"
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the increasingly popular opposition party in Japan, apologized Saturday for having referred to the government's rice stockpiles as "animal feed," days after drawing criticism on social media. Tamaki, who heads the Democratic Party for the People, said on a TV program, "I regret that I caused discomfort to those who have been waiting for the government's stockpiled rice" amid soaring prices of the Japanese staple food, adding, "I would like to apologize." During a parliamentary session on Wednesday, Tamaki, whose party has pitched policies aimed at appealing to younger voters, said, "Even if you say you're selling at a low price something that would end up as animal feed in a year, it's not something people truly need." Tamaki was apparently pointing to stockpiled rice from the 2021 harvest, which the government is releasing to the public in an effort to curb surging prices across the country. On Saturday, Hiroshi Moriyama, secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said at a meeting in Kagoshima Prefecture, where agriculture is a core industry, that Tamaki was "disrespectful to the farmers who put their heart and soul into their work." Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, also criticized Tamaki's remark at a press conference on Friday, calling it "not appropriate."
The Mainichi
4 days ago
- Business
- The Mainichi
'Not bad at all': Japan expert taste-tests stockpiled rice as reserves hit shelves
TOKYO -- The Japanese government has started selling its stockpiled rice through negotiated contracts in an effort to curb the rising price of the staple, which has sparked public interest in the quality of old rice, particularly its taste. It's rare for stockpiled rice, released only in response to disasters, to enter the market, making this the first time for it to be used to control prices. And because it is rarely released, consumers don't often get a chance to taste it. The impression of old rice having poor flavor is deeply rooted. Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the opposition Democratic Party for the People (DPFP), commented that stockpiled rice "after a year becomes something fit for animal feed," apparently echoing this negative perception. But how much does the quality of rice actually decline over time? The Mainichi Shimbun asked a food scientist and a major rice cooker manufacturer to find out. 'Not bad,' says expert "Of course, freshly harvested rice tastes best. But older rice isn't bad at all," said Toshiaki Mitsui, a specially appointed professor at Niigata University who teaches molecular biology. On May 29, he taste-tested rice harvested in 2024, 2022 and 2020 -- all from the same region and freshly milled. "The new rice from 2024 has an excellent aroma, chewy texture and refined sweetness. Older rice can be a bit dry and lose some of its luster. But I couldn't tell the difference between the 2022 and 2020 rice. While the fragrance is fading, there was no unpleasant smell." According to Mitsui, the fat found on the outer surface of rice oxidizes and produces compounds like hexanal over time, which can cause a so-called "old rice smell" when cooked. However, in his actual tests, even rice from five years ago apparently tasted like ordinary rice. "The outer layer is removed when the rice is milled, and more importantly, it all depends on how it is stored. I've heard that government stockpiles are kept at low temperatures with carefully controlled humidity, so there shouldn't be any issue," he explained. 'Livestock are eating well' Rice prices remain high. Despite the situation, consumers likely want to continue enjoying tasty rice as part of their daily meals. Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi, who is overseeing the effort to bring down rice prices, criticized Tamaki's "animal feed" comment as "a bit disappointing," though the comment itself is technically true. Stockpiled rice is generally sold for animal feed if it is stored for more than five years. Of the 300,000 metric tons now being released by the government through negotiated contracts, 100,000 tons were harvested in 2021 and 200,000 tons in 2022. Tamaki's comment referred to this. Tamaki held a speech on the streets that same evening after the animal feed remark, and said, "That's why I don't think even 1,800 yen (about $13) for 5 kilograms is cheap." While the term "animal feed" may evoke the image of rice of a severely degraded quality, Mitsui laughed and said, "You could say that Japanese livestock (that are being fed stockpiled rice) are actually eating pretty well." He added, "Older rice can still taste really good. Why not think of it as a rare opportunity and enjoy it?" How to cook old rice according to rice cooker manufacturer Japanese rice cookers have made notable progress in recent years. Major brands now boast features that allow even older rice to be cooked deliciously. Milling technology is also said to have advanced significantly. Osaka-based Zojirushi Corp., a major rice cooker and kitchen appliance manufacturer, advises on its website that "since older rice contains less moisture, it's best to add a little more water when cooking." At the same time, scrubbing the rice too hard due to worries over the quality of old grains is apparently not recommended. Older rice tends to be drier and more fragile, making it more likely to crack when washed vigorously. A representative from the company's public relations department said, "In the past, people were told to scrub the rice, but now with advanced milling technology, a light rinse is enough. You don't need to worry that much just because it's old rice."
5 days ago
- Politics
DPFP Leader under Fire for Calling Stockpiled Rice Livestock Feed
News from Japan Politics May 29, 2025 22:01 (JST) Tokyo, May 29 (Jiji Press)--Yuichiro Tamaki, head of the opposition Democratic Party for the People, has sparked controversy by describing stockpiled rice being sold by the Japanese government as fit for "livestock feed" after a year. At a parliamentary committee meeting on Wednesday, Tamaki said that stockpiled rice sold under the government's discretionary contracts would become "livestock feed once a year has passed." While the government is releasing stockpiled rice harvested in 2021 and 2022 at a time when consumers in the country are struggling with soaring rice prices, Tamaki argued that the government effort does not meet consumers' demand for lower prices for high-quality rice. The DPFP chief appeared to be referring to the current system in which government-stockpiled rice is sold for feed use after five years. Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi has told reporters that Tamaki's remark was "disappointing." Kenta Izumi, former head of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said on social media Thursday that Tamaki should not say such things at this time. A young DPFP member said that Tamaki "said too much." [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
The Mainichi
5 days ago
- Business
- The Mainichi
Japan farm minister irked by opposition head describing stockpiled rice as animal feed
TOKYO -- Japan's agriculture minister complained that an opposition party leader described stockpiled rice as "something that will become animal feed after one year" at the House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on May 28. In asking a question to agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi at the committee meeting, Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki remarked that "the government says it will sell the rice, which will used to feed animals after a year, at a lower price. Of course, it will be sold at a low price." He also explained that there is strong demand to buy branded rice such as Koshihikari at lower prices, and commented, "Stockpiled rice does not meet real needs." Koizumi told reporters, "Even if that's the reality, it's a bit disappointing to hear such remarks at a time when we are working on how to release stockpiled rice." According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries website, stockpiled rice is sold as feed rice and for other uses after about five years of storage.
