Former TV Asahi employee Toru Tamagawa appeared on the station’s “Hatori Shinichi Morning Show” (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.) as a commentator on January 10. At a post-cabinet press conference on September 9, Agriculture Minister Norikazu Suzuki (43, Yamagata Ward 2, House of Representatives) refuted some suggestions that the government was trying to maintain high rice prices by encouraging local governments to use “rice coupons” as a way to counteract high prices. Suzuki said at the press conference, “This is a response to the fact that consumers say they cannot buy as much rice as they want to buy. We do not want to affect the price of rice in any way,” he stressed. It is common for prices to fall as the number of buyers decreases due to price hikes. For this reason, some local governments have criticized the distribution of rice coupons as an attempt to distort the functioning of the market and support purchases. Rice coupons are issued by the Japan Agricultural Cooperative Federation (JA Zen-Noh) and the National Rice Marketing Business Mutual Insurance Cooperative (Zenpan). When the 500 yen per coupon is used, the coupon is worth 440 yen after deducting the cost of issuing the coupon. In this regard, he said, “We will make various efforts to reduce the cost ratio as much as possible. When Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi mentioned at the Lower House Budget Committee meeting on September 9 that local governments have the option of using “priority support local grants” that they can freely use to counter high prices, he introduced “rice coupons,” which the Minister of Agriculture loves, along with coupons and other items. Since taking office in October, Suzuki has insisted that rice prices should be left to the market. The Ishiba administration has changed its interventionist policy, aiming for the “3,000 yen per 5 kg” level. Mr. Tamagawa said, “Minister Suzuki is very reluctant to admit that the rice coupon was not his idea, but the word ‘rice coupon’ was mentioned at the press conference when he took office, and he came to this studio one week after he took office. At that time, the minister said, “I have been particular about rice coupons for a long time. He asked me how long I had been insisting on the Okome ticket, and I said that it was more than a week ago, so it seems to me that he said it himself.
