Taku Eto may forever be known as Japan’s modern-day Marie Antoinette.
At a time when the price of rice is at a record high, Eto, the country’s farm minister, essentially told the population: If the staple is too expensive, let them eat the rice they get for free.
"I’ve never bought rice. I get so much from supporters that I have enough to sell,” he told a fundraising event at the weekend, in comments he later said were merely meant to elicit a laugh. Few were amused in a country where the price of the staple food has doubled over the past year. Eto, unsurprisingly, lost his job just days later.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.