據日本廣播協會5月21日報道，因發表不當言論遭多方抨擊，日本農林水產大臣江藤拓向日本首相石破茂提出辭呈。
Japan's Agriculture Minister Taku Eto has submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba over his recent gaffe regarding rice — comments that stoked public anger over the soaring price of the food staple.gaffe /ɡæf/ (愚蠢或粗心的)錯誤
江藤拓21日向記者表示，已提出辭呈。圖源：日本廣播協會
據報道，在日本“米荒危機”背景下，江藤拓18日在演講中稱，“我從不買米，支持者送的都夠開店了。”該言論受到日本在野黨政客和日本民眾強烈抨擊。
During a speech in Saga on Sunday, Eto said that he never bought rice as he receives so much of the staple from his supporters that he could sell it. This drew criticism from both ruling and opposition lawmakers — as well as the general public.
日本民眾買米難 農林水產大臣卻稱家中“米多到可以出售”
一段時間以來，日本大米價格持續上漲，引發日本民眾擔憂。
日本農林水產省本月19日公佈的資料顯示，截至5月11日為止的一週，日本超市大米均價重新恢復上漲勢頭，日本全國超市銷售的5公斤裝大米均價為4268日元，環比上漲1.3%，再次創下新高。
由於極端高溫天氣導致農作物歉收，而旅遊業繁榮又推高了消費需求，日本大米的零售價格較去年同期翻番。
Retail prices for Japan's staple grain are about double what they were a year ago after extreme heat hit crops and a tourism boom added to demand.
江藤拓18日在日本佐賀市演講時稱，自己從未買過大米，“從支持者那裡收到的大米多到可以拿去出售”，引發民眾批評。
19日，江藤拓在接受採訪時解釋稱，說“多到可以出售”屬於言過其實。自己沒能充分體諒消費者。但他否認了辭職的可能。江藤拓還表示，他定期會買米，並且上週剛買過米。江藤拓稱，以他的身份和立場，說出這樣的話，是非常不恰當的。
Responding to reporters' questions on Monday, Eto apologized, saying he had misspoken and may have exaggerated to please the crowd.
針對江藤拓的發言，19日，日本首相石破茂對其作出嚴重警告，並指示其繼續努力降低米價。
Ishiba summoned Eto to his office on Monday and urged him to retract the "problematic" remarks. He allowed Eto to remain as farm minister and work to ease the burden of rising rice prices on households, ahead of a parliamentary election this summer.
大米問題已成為選民關注的焦點議題。這對自民黨而言並不樂觀，因為七月即將迎來關鍵的參議院選舉。
The reaction to his comments underscores the extent to which rice has become a hot-button topic for voters, boding ill for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party ahead of key upper house elections in July.
編輯：左卓
來源：環球網 央視新聞 共同社 日本廣播協會
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