"Farmers' Union Candidate Runs in Upper House Election Amid Rice Policy Turmoil"
In Japan’s upcoming Upper House election on July 20, one candidate running in the nationwide proportional race is from the powerful agricultural cooperative (JA) group, which is currently at the center of the so-called “Reiwa Rice Crisis.”
On July 3, the day the election campaign officially began, Higashi-no Hideki (53), a first-time candidate endorsed by JA's political group, launched his campaign at an event in Tokyo. He is running on the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) ticket.
At the event, LDP Secretary-General Moriyama Hiroshi, a key figure in agricultural policy, attended to show support. He stressed the importance of securing Japan’s food security and working closely with farmers.
This comes as Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has introduced a series of controversial reforms. Recently, he allowed government stockpiled rice to be sold directly to wholesalers without public bidding — a move that has stirred criticism within JA and the farming community.
by MagazineKey4532