Tokyo (Japan), 21 May (LaPresse/AP) – Japanese Agriculture Minister Taku Eto was forced to resign today due to the political fallout from his recent statements that he “never had to buy rice” because he received it as gifts from his supporters. “I made an extremely inappropriate remark at a time when consumers are struggling with soaring rice prices,” Eto told reporters after submitting his resignation to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's office. He was the first minister to resign under Ishiba, who took office in October. Eto's comment, which many Japanese people considered out of touch with economic reality, was made on Sunday during a seminar of the Liberal Democratic Party, which leads a struggling minority government. The gaffe could cause further problems for the party ahead of national elections in July. A major defeat could mean a new government or Ishiba's resignation.
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