Overview

• Taku Eto resigned as Japan's Agriculture Minister following backlash over remarks about receiving rice as gifts while prices have doubled over the past year.
• Eto's comments, made during a fundraising event, drew criticism from both ruling party members and opposition leaders, exacerbating public frustration over rising food costs.
• Japan's rice shortage stems from a 2023 heat wave that damaged harvests, increased demand from tourism, and longstanding production controls on farmers.
• The government has been releasing emergency rice reserves in an effort to stabilize prices and ease the burden on households.
• Shinjiro Koizumi, a former Environment Minister and son of a former prime minister, is widely reported to be the likely successor to lead the agriculture ministry.