Japan’s agriculture minister, Taku Etō, resigned on May 21 just six months into his term, following a public backlash to his joke that he never buys rice because supporters give it to him for free.
Gaffes are by no means uncommon in Japanese politics. Controversial remarks by one former prime minister, Tarō Asō, were routinely followed by retractions – and the ruling Liberal Democratic party (LDP) even distributed a gaffe-prevention manual to its members in 2019.
But amid a severe rice shortage, which has seen prices surge to 90% higher than they were a year ago, Etō’s quip was seen by the Japanese public as more than just an offhand comment.
