Japan is facing its first cost-of-living crisis in decades, which is hitting a beloved staple: rice. The price has more than doubled in the last year, and imported varieties are few and far between. Eto apologised, saying he had gone "too far" with his comments on Sunday at a local fundraiser. He resigned after opposition parties threatened a no-confidence motion against him. His ousting deals a fresh blow to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's minority government, which was already struggling with falling public support. Rice can be a powerful trigger in Japan, where shortages have caused political upsets before. Riots over the soaring cost of rice even toppled a government in 1918. So it's not that surprising that rice prices have a role in Ishiba's plummeting approval ratings.

Japanese farm minister Taku Eto’s remarks on rice, deemed insensitive by many, cost him his position, forcing him to resign owing to public backlash. Announcing his resignation at the prime minister’s office on Wednesday, Eto told the media: "I have just submitted my resignation to Prime Minister Ishiba. I made an extremely inappropriate remark at a time when citizens are suffering from soaring rice prices."

Japanese Minister Taku Etō has been forced to resign amid the ongoing rice crisis. For those unaware, Japan has been facing a severe rice shortage since 2024, which makes the US egg crisis look minuscule in comparison. Etō delivered a fatal blow to his career by saying that he does not need to worry about the price of rice since he receives it freely through donations. His comments were taken as a modern-day “Let them eat cake.” “I asked myself whether it is appropriate for me to stay at the helm [of the agriculture ministry] at a critical time for rice prices, and I concluded that it is not,” Etō added, according to the Kyodo news agency. “Once again, I apologise to people for making extremely inappropriate comments as minister when they are struggling with surging rice prices.” He later added that his wife was upset with him for his comments, as they do purchase rice once the donations run dry.