Japan minister 'disqualified' for job over rice gift gaffe, but no legal breach: expert
One expert said that if Eto does not understand the pain of most people, it disqualifies him from his role as minister.
Eto, who was speaking publicly in the southwestern Japan city of Saga on May 18, apologized and retracted the comment the next evening, saying he had "greatly exaggerated." Yet, the question has arisen as to whether politicians could face legal action if they receive rice from supporters.
Eto made the comments during a lecture at the "Saga political and economic seminar," which followed the ruling coalition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)'s Saga Prefecture chapter convention. After mentioning that brown rice is "more nutritious than polished rice," he said, "I have never bought rice myself," and continued, "It's also a lot of work to receive rice. Sometimes there are even stones mixed in it."
The next day, Eto explained that he had wanted to encourage people to "buy brown rice, polish it, and enjoy eating it," because reserve stocks are sometimes sold as brown rice. However, Eto also noted that his wife told him, "It's not as if we cover all our needs with what's given to us," and he did not deny receiving rice from supporters.
The Political Funds Control Act requires political organizations to record and disclose the receipt and expenditure of political funds in their reports. The question is whether rice could constitute "political funds."
Hiroshi Kamiwaki, a professor at Kobe Gakuin University and an expert on the Political Funds Control Act, stated that rice was most likely received privately, and he believes it would not constitute political funds.
If a politician were to receive large quantities of rice from a specific individual or company, it could be viewed as a bribe depending on the content of their duties as agriculture minister or the timing of the gift. Still, Kamiwaki noted, "If rice was given by a rice dealer, it could raise suspicion, but I think it would be regarded as (an issue of) whether it's a matter of political ethics."
Kamiwaki also criticized Eto's words and actions as careless in light of "ministerial norms" which forbid acts that invite the people's distrust through close business ties: "There's no penalty, but this involves political responsibility, and he should not have received rice from supporters."
Touching upon the issue of rising consumer prices of late, Kamiwaki concluded, "Eto's statement is honest in a sense, but he does not understand the lives of the common people. If he does not understand the pain of the majority of the people, it disqualifies him as a minister."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yomiuri Shimbun
3 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan's Nikkei Stock Average Edges down, off near 2-Week High Amid Election Outcome Worries
TOKYO, July 18 (Reuters) – Japan's Nikkei share average slipped from a more than two-week high to trade lower on Friday as investors weighed the outcome of the nation's upper house election due on the weekend. The Nikkei .N225 slipped 0.31% to 39,778.85 by the midday break. Earlier, it had risen to as much as 40,087.59, its highest level since July 1, underpinned by the strong performance of Wall Street, but fell soon as investors started selling to book profits. The S&P 500 .SPX stock index and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC both finished at record highs on Thursday, as investors embraced strong economic data and earnings reports that showed American consumers remained willing to spend. .N For the week, the Nikkei is set to rise 0.5% and snap a two straight weeks of losses. The broader Topix .TOPX was down 0.13% to 2,836.1. 'Investors did not want to take a risk in buying stocks ahead of the national election on the weekend,' said Yugo Tsuboi, chief strategist at Daiwa Securities. 'But the momentum is not bad as about half the stocks rose.' Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its partner Komeito are expected to lose their majority in the upper house on Sunday. Strategists now focus on whether Ishiba will remain in his position or step down after the election, as a gauge of the nation's potential policy shift, which could lead to a cut in the national consumption tax. Chip-related heavyweight fell, with Advantest 6857.T and Tokyo Electron 8035.T losing 4.27% and 0.7%, respectively. Disco6146.T tanked 10.26% to become the biggest percentage loser on the Nikkei, as the chipmaking device supplier's quarterly operating profit forecast missed market expectations. Uniqlo-brand owner Fast Retailing 9983.T rose 0.79% to provide the biggest support to the Nikkei. Technology investor SoftBank Group 9984.T rose 1.5%. Of more than 1,600 stocks on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's prime section, 42% rose and 53% fell, and 4% traded flat.
The Mainichi
3 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Japan PM Ishiba adopts hardline rhetoric as polls threaten his job
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Among the many slogans used by politicians to rally support ahead of Sunday's parliamentary election, "Do not underestimate us" and "Japanese First" perhaps best capture the predicament facing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Ishiba, who heads the Liberal Democratic Party, has intensified his rhetoric on issues appealing to conservatives, a core LDP base, as media polls suggest the ruling coalition may lose its majority in the House of Councillors, potentially jeopardizing his premiership. "This is the toughest election yet," Ishiba told supporters during a stump speech as the 17-day campaign neared its end. "I bow my head and ask for your support." The election is crucial for Ishiba, who has led a minority government since the ruling camp lost control of the more powerful House of Representatives last October. He has struggled to regain public support, lacking any standout achievements. After U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 25 percent tariff on Japanese goods from Aug. 1, Ishiba said in a speech on July 9, "Do not underestimate us. Even if it is an ally that we are negotiating with, we must say what needs to be said without hesitation." The unusually strong language was widely seen as an effort to show that Ishiba would not waver in defending Japan's national interests, and it appeared aimed more at reassuring domestic voters than sending a message to Washington. Later, he emphasized the necessity of revising Japan's pacifist Constitution, a long-held goal of the LDP, although prospects for realizing the country's first-ever amendment might dim if the party loses seats in the 248-member upper house. Any proposed revision must be approved by a two-thirds majority in both houses before it can be put to a national referendum. Ishiba's changing tone comes as other parties -- particularly the minor populist Sanseito party, which has been gaining popularity among younger voters through social media -- are viewed as increasingly siphoning off conservative support. Sanseito's nationalistic agenda -- notably its hardline stance on foreigners under the slogan "Japanese First" -- is resonating with voters frustrated with the LDP, analysts say. Its leader, Sohei Kamiya, is a former LDP member. The LDP and its junior partner Komeito party are not assured of retaining a majority in the upper house, according to a recent Kyodo News poll. With 125 seats being contested, the ruling coalition must win at least 50 to cross the majority threshold in the chamber. A government official said, "Would it be feasible for the LDP to win back support in the coming days? Given the situation, it's a difficult scenario to imagine." With the winds apparently blowing in their favor, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the main opposition force, and the Democratic Party for the People are scrambling to highlight their differences with the ruling bloc. The opposition camp is broadly calling for a reduction or abolition of the politically sensitive consumption tax to ease the pain of inflation, in stark contrast with Ishiba's cautious stance that has seen him pledge to provide cash handouts to the public. "Let's bring an end to an LDP that does not even try to side with ordinary people in the first place," CDPJ leader Yoshihiko Noda said, reminding voters of a remark by Yosuke Tsuruho, a senior LDP member, who described a 2024 earthquake in central Japan as "fortunate." Noda, who served as Japan's prime minister for around one year through 2012 when the LDP was out of power and approved a consumption tax hike to finance social security, also said, "What we need is not 'Japanese First,' either," in a challenge to Sanseito. In campaign speeches, the ruling bloc typically underscores its accomplishments to bolster expectations for further progress, while opposition parties tend to focus on drawing contrasts with those in power, pundits say. For Ishiba, however, the strategy may be a double-edged sword. As leader of a minority government for less than a year, he has been forced to accept opposition demands to ensure smooth parliamentary debate and the passage of state budgets and important bills. His push to establish a disaster prevention agency for a nation prone to earthquakes and typhoons has been overshadowed by Tsuruho's gaffe, which triggered backlash from residents in areas affected by the Noto earthquake that killed over 600 people. In the final stretch of the campaign, Ishiba is zeroing in on conservative voters to boost the ruling coalition's chances, but his success is far from certain. Ishiba "will inevitably have to concentrate more on turning the tide and winning back support" than on talking about his visions, but "there is no guarantee things will go smoothly," said Ken Kinoshita, an associate professor at the Fukuoka Institute of Technology. Kinoshita, an expert on political communication, is examining how the growing use of social media will influence the election, as short videos featuring attention-grabbing phrases from candidate speeches continue to circulate online. "Social media posts with short and clear-cut messages, and sometimes extreme claims, are prevalent online. This appears to be accelerating polarization, meaning the shift among voters -- either to the right or the left -- is becoming more pronounced, which may not bode well for the LDP," he added. (By Noriyuki Suzuki)
Japan Times
4 hours ago
- Japan Times
Parties vow measures to tackle falling birth rate
As Japan continues to face a declining birth rate, political parties are pledging to adopt measures aimed at reducing the burden on households with children in their campaigns for Sunday's House of Councilors election. Last year, Japan recorded fewer than 700,000 births for the first time. While parties are promising to make it easier to have and raise children, they have not adequately discussed how to fund these initiatives. In 2023, the government drew up the Children's Future Strategy, positioning the period until the 2030s, when the country's youth population is forecast to plunge, as the "last chance to reverse the declining birth rate." Under the strategy, the government vowed to accelerate measures such as expanding child allowances, making university tuition free for households with multiple children and opening nursery services to all infants, regardless of their parents' employment status. The number of births in 2024, announced last month, stood at 686,061, down 40,000 from the previous year. The total fertility rate, or the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime, hit a new record low of 1.15. "It's quite difficult to achieve a V-shaped recovery in the number of births," a government official said. "We should first slow down the pace of decline." During their election campaigns, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, Komeito, promised to promote the measures outlined in the strategy. They also pledged to work on making high school education free, which was included in a policy agreement between the two parties and Nippon Ishin no Kai. Meanwhile, opposition parties have proposed more generous measures than those in the government's strategy. Regarding child allowances, the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) and the Democratic Party for the People (DPP) plan to pay ¥15,000 ($101) per month until children turn 18. Reiwa Shinsengumi offers ¥30,000 per month until children graduate high school, while Sanseito proposes ¥100,000 per month until the age of 15. Additionally, the CDP, Nippon Ishin and the DPP have promised to provide free early childhood education for children up to 2 years old. The CDP has proposed eliminating tuition for national universities and reducing tuition for private universities. The Japanese Communist Party has said it wants to first halve tuition before eventually making it free. Many parties also vowed to provide free school meals. While the ruling and opposition parties agree on expanding child-related measures, they are divided on how to finance such measures. The government plans to fund the measures in the strategy by introducing a surcharge on public health insurance premiums starting in fiscal 2026. However, the CDP and the DPP are opposing the move. The CDP plans to finance the measures with dividend incomes from exchange-traded funds owned by the Bank of Japan, while the DPP proposes issuing government bonds. But the government and ruling parties doubt that these would be stable funding sources. Some social media users have criticized the surcharge as a "tax on single people," arguing that those who do not have children do not benefit from the system. Junko Mihara, minister for children-related policies, refuted such views, saying: "Children will bear the burden of social security in the future. All generations will enjoy the benefits, so it's a mistake to call it a tax on single people." Parties have avoided discussing the issue of funding in detail because it could sound painful. But if they continue to kick the can down the road, it may accelerate the decline in the country's birth rate.
