TOKYO - Japan's Agriculture Minister resigned on Wednesday because he recently commented that he "never had to buy rice" because he received gifts from supporters. The resignation was due to the public struggling with record prices of traditional staple food in the country.

Taku Eto's comments are out of touch with the tough economic reality they face, which was at a workshop held in Saga County. Politically, this issue could bring further trouble for the already troubled minority government of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, which faces a major national election in July. The loss could mean that the new government or Ishiba must step down.

"I made extremely inappropriate comments when consumers struggled with the price of rice," Eto said to reporters after resigning in the prime minister's office. Eto said Ishiba accepted his resignation.

"I'm not suitable to stay" as officials work hard to lower rice prices and increase supply," the ETO said.

The government has released a lot of rice from emergency stocks in recent months, but the latest Ministry of Agriculture statistics show that this hasn't really helped the situation. Some supermarkets have begun selling cheap imported rice.

The ETO tried to clarify comments that had left him in trouble when submitting his resignation. He said he actually did buy white rice himself instead of living on rice as a gift. He said the gift review refers to brown rice, which he hopes people are interested because it can reach the market faster.

Media reports say the ETO's successor will be former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, the son of the former prime minister.

Ishiba, also former farm minister, said he wanted to strengthen Japan's food security and self-sufficiency. He recently proposed agricultural reforms, including increasing rice yields and possible exports, although critics say he should first urgently address the ongoing rice problem.

Ishiba noticed the rice situation and he suspected that the rise in rice prices was "not temporary, but structural issues."

Opposition MPs threatened to voluntarily resign on Wednesday afternoon, filing a motion of distrust against him. Party leaders plan to further grill Ispibon during parliamentary debates scheduled to take place later that day.

As people eat a variety of diets, the demand for Japanese rice has declined in recent decades, but rice remains an integral part of Japanese culture and history.

"Rice is a stable food for the Japanese. When prices rise every week, it's only natural to resign (ETO),” said Shizuko Oshima, 73.

The government has warned of caution after its preparations for a major earthquake, the shortage began last August. After the fall harvest, supply pressures have eased, but shortages and price increases have occurred again at the beginning of the year.

Officials blamed the supply shortage on the government's long-term rice production policy due to the hot weather in 2023 and higher fertilizer and other production costs.

The unprecedented release from emergency rice stocks is seen as an attempt to identify allocation issues. The government denies that there is a shortage of rice now, but officials say the rice has not reached consumers is a mystery. Some experts say the rice shortage may be severe, but it is difficult to track down the rice because its distribution pathways have become so complex since the government control in 1995.