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New agriculture minister Koizumi officially takes over duties NHK

A: Hey there! Did you catch the news about our homeland?
B: Not really, what's up?

A: Japan's new Agriculture Minister, Koizumi Shinjiro, is taking over from Eto Taku, and he's ready to take on soaring rice prices!
B: Wow, that's a big responsibility! What's his plan?

A: Well, he promised to use government stockpiles of rice when needed. He said the ministry will provide as much rice as necessary to keep things in check.
B: That sounds serious! What did Eto have to say about it?

A: Eto stepped down due to some controversial comments. They met and exchanged documents, with Eto saying "I'll leave it in your hands." Koizumi replied "Got it."
B: So, what's next for the rice situation then?

A: Well, Koizumi announced that they're going to halt the fourth auction of stockpiled rice and instead make direct contracts with individual buyers. Let's see if this helps bring down those prices!
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Japan's new agriculture minister Koizumi Shinjiro has pledged to tackle soaring rice prices as he officially takes over from his predecessor Eto Taku.



Koizumi spoke to reporters about the release of government stockpiles of rice when he arrived at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on Thursday.



He said the ministry will supply the reserve rice without limit if necessary. He said he wants to act quickly and make every effort to be able to deliver results as soon as possible.



Koizumi and Eto met in the minister's office in the afternoon. Eto stepped down over his controversial remarks about rice.



After a handshake, Eto passed handover documents to Koizumi, saying "I'll leave it in your hands." Koizumi replied, "Got it."



Koizumi told reporters on Wednesday that the ministry will put a fourth auction of stockpiled rice on hold. The ministry under Eto had planned the auction for next week.



Koizumi instead announced a plan to switch to direct contracts with individual buyers.



With rice prices continuing to soar, the question is whether the new agriculture minister can help bring them down.
Summary
New Agriculture Minister Koizumi Shinjiro assumes office in Japan, vowing to address rising rice prices. Plans include using government stockpiles and direct sales to individual buyers instead of auctions. He met with predecessor Eto Taku, who resigned over controversial comments.
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ID: e061a291-efdb-4bc0-818a-b204692a878e

Category ID: nhk

URL: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20250522_18/

Date: May 22, 2025

Created: 2025/05/22 19:03

Updated: 2025/12/08 03:58

Last Read: 2025/05/22 19:50