Resignation in Japan
Minister falls over sack rice
In Japan, the prices for rice have doubled last year – for many this is a problem. Now a joke about it costs Agriculture Minister Taku Eto the job.
The Japanese Minister of Agriculture Taku ETO has submitted his resignation after controversial statements about gifted rice. While the people in Japan had to deal with rising travel prices, he had made an “extremely inappropriate remark”, he justified his resignation, according to the news agency Kyodo.
At an event at the weekend, ETO said that he did not have to buy a rice, because his supporters gave him so much that he could sell him. He later rowed back and said that it was a joke. However, his statements made outrage among the population and in the opposition.
Due to bottlenecks, according to Kyodo, the price for rice has doubled within last year. The reason for this are, among other things, bad harvests due to high temperatures last summer. In order to counteract the price increase, the government has released more than 300,000 tons of rice from emergency stocks.
Eto regrets joke about travel prices in Japan
He came to the conclusion that it was not appropriate to remain at the top of the ministry in such a “critical phase for the travel prices”, said Eto reports. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba appointed former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi as the successor.
Dpa
tkr
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
