Japan farm minister resigns over controversial gifted rice gaffe

Farm minister Taku Eto resigned Wednesday after facing backlash over a declaration that he does not buy rice due to being gifted so much by supporters, dealing a blow to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba whose popularity has already been shaken by cost-of-living issues, especially the soaring price of rice, Report informs via Kyodo News.

Ishiba is expected to replace Eto with Shinjiro Koizumi, 44, government sources said, installing the popular former environment minister who unsuccessfully ran in the Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election last year.

After accepting Eto's resignation, Ishiba acknowledged his own responsibility as the person who handpicked him and allowed him to stay on even as objections mounted over the comments, saying, "I will accept all criticism."

Eto, 64, tendered his resignation at the prime minister's office, hours before Ishiba is set to face off in parliament with leaders of the country's opposition parties, who had united in their calls for Eto's resignation.

The latest scandal comes as Ishiba prepares for a House of Councillors election this summer, a must-win race for the ruling coalition after they lost control of the more powerful House of Representatives last year.

Eto is the first of Ishiba's Cabinet members to leave office for reasons other than having lost a parliamentary seat in the general election in October.