Japan PM sacks Agriculture Minister Taku Eto over rice gaffe, Shinjiro Koizumi named ahead of key polls


Taku Eto (left) and Shinjiro Koizumi (right). - Photos: The Yomiuri Shimbun file

TOKYO: (Bernama-Kyodo) Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Wednesday (May 21) dismissed Agriculture Minister Taku Eto over a controversial remark on rice prices, in a move seen as an effort to quell public anger ahead of a key parliamentary election.

According to Kyodo news agency, Eto had said at a recent fundraising event that he receives so much rice from supporters that he is "not buying any,” a comment widely criticised as insensitive at a time of soaring food prices.

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Asean News Headlines at 10pm on Thursday (Feb 12, 2026)

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