Japanese minister resigns after saying he doesn’t buy rice because he gets it free

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/21/japan-farm-minister-resigns-rice-price

34 comments

  2. In unrelated news, China recently announced that it would buy as much as $300m worth of the coin, $TRUMP

  3. It must be nice to have standards for politicians even if those standards are a bit absurdly high. Still better than having what we have in the US though.

  5. serious question: I dont understand. Why in a democracy world we cannot vote him down? Is there anyway to do this?

  6. As an American, I’m jealous that this was all it took.

  8. ” it’s rice, Michael. How much can it cost, 10 dollars?”

  9. It’s not a smart thing to say out loud. Makes him sound out of touch with regular folks.

  10. The context is that Japan is currently in a rice price crisis, so for him to say that he gets them for free from his political supporters, and enough to even sell them, is pretty egregious.

  11. Meanwhile in U.S…Trumps accepting free $400 million plane from Qatar

  12. China had a mayor in Guangzhou saying that he didn’t think it’s healthy to cling to the idea of owning a house, then took himself as an example and said he had been working for 20 years and still living in a rented apartment for less than 100 USD a month, whereas the community he stayed was a premium plot and his rent didn’t compare to even 10% of the market price.

    That mayor was arrested and jailed years later for corruption.

  13. Have him clean public toilets for 6 months. Followed by a camera the entire time.

  15. Could this be the Japanese equivalent to pointing out the Gravy Train?

  16. When the price of rice has exploded 2.5x over the course of a year, “I’ve never needed to buy any” isn’t the most prudent thing for the GODDAMN AGRICULTURE MINISTER to say in front of an audience.

  17. Why is saying the truth controversial? So if he had gotten rice for free but didnt say anything he would be fine?

  18. … Did he really just “let them eat cake” himself out of a job.

  22. lol small timer.. if he’d got jets for free instead he’d still have his job.

  23. This kind of thing will get you a applause in USA

  24. reminds me of when India’s finance minister on being asked about hyperinflation in onion prices said: –

    “i come from a family where we don’t eat onion”

    and she said wait such arrogance as if eating onion is for peasants

  25. Good luck picturing anyone in the US government resigning over that. “Why don’t they just raise chickens in their gardens ?”.

  26. Oooo, he broke the number one rule, “never admit you don’t pay for rice!”

  30. damn, if only we could get some of those ego punishments here in America

  31. I’m wondering if Japanese people will resort to buying Thai fragrant rice instead of the type they are used to.

  32. > Etō conceded that his remarks had angered his wife. “She told me that she does buy rice when the donated rice runs out,” he said. “It’s not like our family is living entirely off of rice given to us as gifts.”

    Are we sure this guy understands why he had to resign?

  33. Why is this such a thing?

    I eat rice 2/3 times a week, maybe 100g a meal at the most, which is a largeish plateful. It’s about USD7 a kg in Japan currently, so that’s a couple of dollars a week for me. (It’s less here in New Zealand, despite it being imported from India).

    Even assuming Japanese people eat that much rice for lunch and dinner (really?) that’s only USD14 a week. It’s hardly a huge chunk of most peoples income, is it?

    Is there a cultural assumption that rice should be near to free, like gasoline used to be in the US?

  34. Imagine trumps‘s reaction on this.Or even his boss pootin😆

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