Japanese Minister’s Rice Gaffe Shakes Ishiba Government | Vantage with Palki Sharma | N18G

Japanese Minister’s Rice Gaffe Shakes Ishiba Government | Vantage with Palki Sharma | N18G

Speaking of crisis, Japan is battling a very serious one. They’re heading for elections in two months. And the government’s biggest adversary is rice, the grain. It is Japan’s staple food, and its price has remained stubbornly high. So much so that it is testing the prime minister’s grip on power. His approval ratings have fallen to a record low. And now his own minister has dealt a blow. He said he’s never had to buy rice because his supporters give him so much. That remark drew so much criticism that the minister had to resign. But the government is still facing a massive backlash. So why has rice become such a major political issue for Japan? And what does it mean for their government? Here’s a report. Japan has a sticky rice problem quite literally and it has cost a minister his job. We’re talking about takuito. Earlier this week, he made an off-the- cuff remark. He said, “I have never bought rice myself. Frankly, my supporters give me quite a lot of rice. I have so much rice at home that I could sell it.” Its gaff could not have come at a worse time. Rice is Japan’s prime staple food, but its cost has been soaring for months. After a minor dip in the first week of May, the average retail price has risen to $29.4 per 5 kg of rice with prices surging to record highs. Rice has become a major political issue in the country and itto has only added fuel to the fire. He was Japan’s agriculture minister. We say was because he resigned today after a major backlash. I just handed in my resignation to Prime Minister Shageru Oshiba. Personally, I would like to apologize again for making an inappropriate comment as the minister in charge while the Japanese people are struggling with rice prices. I believe it was nothing but an inappropriate comment which was due to my lack of understanding of people’s feelings. I think Takuidito’s comment was not acceptable not only because he was the agriculture minister but as a human as if once he took the upper position he forgot about the lower ranked people. I think the resignation is what he deserves. This comes as pressure mounts on the government to solve the nation’s rice crisis. The shortfall began last August. There were warnings of a mega quake. So people started panic buying rice. The problem has persisted for months and now prices are almost twice what they were a year ago. The government has made several attempts to bring prices down like dipping into rice reserves and importing rice from South Korea for the first time in a quarter of a century. But nothing has worked. The release of emergency stockpile rice was too late and it has not yet reached us. So I hope the new minister actually cares about our lives. Now the new minister of agriculture is Shinjiro Koisumi and it’s his job to drive down the rice prices and Japanese Prime Minister Shigaru Ishiba can only hope that it happens fast because rice is just a small part of the buffet of problems he faces. There’s a cost of living crisis. Japan’s financial condition is poor. Ishiba says it’s worse than Greece’s decadel long crisis. And this has hurt the yeshiva government. It was already suffering from low approval ratings and after the mishap they slipped to 27.4%. A record low. Plus last year’s Liberal Democratic Party suffered a crushing defeat in the lower house election and only held on to power by seeking support from minor parties. It’s not a good look for the party that has ruled Japan for all of its post-war history. And now the threat has worsened ahead of the July elections when the country heads to polls for the upper house. So rice could very well determine Ishiba’s future as prime minister. It has already dented his popularity and Itto’s comment is merely the cherry on top of this rice cake. At first post, we are choosing to hold on to accuracy. That means we won’t always be first. We may not get you your breaking alert. But what you will get is what we owe you. And that is the truth. Verified, checked, and cross-cheed. We rely on sources and verified ones. After all, that’s what separates a journalist from a loudspeaker. But sometimes even we miss a beat. And when we do, we will tell you. Like yesterday we ran visuals from a registered news agency. That visual turned out to be fake. So we are taking accountability and from now on we will site the source of every visual. Every picture, every video that you see on first post will have a source mentioned. That is our commitment to you. We will wait. We will verify. We will ask again. And only then will we tell you. No noise, no panic, just the facts. Because right now that is what the country needs most.

Japanese Minister’s Rice Gaffe Shakes Ishiba Government | Vantage with Palki Sharma | N18G

Japan’s agriculture minister has resigned after controversially claiming he doesn’t buy rice because he gets it free, sparking public outrage amid soaring rice prices. With rice now averaging $29.4 per 5 kg, the cost-of-living crisis deepens. Prime Minister Ishiba faces mounting pressure, record-low approval ratings, and a tough election in July as Japan’s economy struggles.

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Japan | Shigeru Ishiba | Rice Firstpost | World News | News Live | Vantage | Palki Sharma | News

#japan #shigeruishiba #firstpost #vantageonfirstpost #palkisharma #worldnews

Vantage is a ground-breaking news, opinions, and current affairs show from Firstpost. Catering to a global audience, Vantage covers the biggest news stories from a 360-degree perspective, giving viewers a chance to assess the impact of world events through a uniquely Indian lens.

The show is anchored by Palki Sharma, Managing Editor, Firstpost.

By breaking stereotypes, Vantage aims to challenge conventional wisdom and present an alternative view on global affairs, defying the norm and opening the door to new perspectives. The show goes beyond the headlines to uncover the hidden stories – making Vantage a destination for thought-provoking ideas.

Vantage airs Monday to Friday at 9 PM IST on Firstpost across all leading platforms.
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