Japan’s agriculture minister Taku Eto announced his resignation on Wednesday following backlash over an inappropriate comment about rice.Eto came under fire earlier this week after stating that he had “never had to buy rice” because supporters gave it to him, a remark that sparked public outrage amid a national rice shortage and soaring prices.

The price of rise a challenge for Japan’s government

Rice is a staple food in Japan, and Eto’s comment struck a nerve in a country where retail rice prices have doubled since last year.“I made an extremely inappropriate remark at a time when citizens are suffering from soaring rice prices,” Eto told reporters after submitting his resignation at the prime minister’s office.The government has implemented measures since March to curb rising prices, including releasing tons of rice from its emergency stockpile, but these efforts have so far failed to yield results.Public support for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has also declined sharply. According to a Kyodo News poll released Sunday, his approval rating has dropped to 27.4%, down from 32.6% the previous month.The same poll revealed that 87.1% of respondents viewed the government’s response to rising rice prices as inadequate.