On Tuesday, the public safety chief of Japan admitted to eating a bowl of grilled eel rice while he was informed about an attack that targeted Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during election campaigning. The chief said that the meal was “delicious.” This statement received criticism from opposition parties.
“I had been looking forward to eating a delicious bowl of grilled eel rice. I was just about to start eating when I received a call from the National Police Agency,” “I made sure to eat the bowl of eel rice,” National Public Safety Commission chief Koichi Tani recalling the April 15 explosives attack during a party of ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers.
Recent remarks from government officials and an aide to Prime Minister Kishida have sparked criticism and now this latest news adds to the growing controversy.
In November of last year, the Justice Minister at the time, Yasuhiro Hanashi, was fired for making comments that were perceived to be disrespectful towards his responsibility of approving executions of death-row inmates.