米价拖累自民党选情，小泉能“救”石破茂吗

Core Viewpoint - The rising rice prices in Japan have become a significant political issue, prompting a cabinet reshuffle and urgent government measures to stabilize prices [1][4]. Group 1: Rice Price Trends - The average price of 5 kg of rice in Japanese supermarkets reached a record high of 4285 yen (approximately 213.7 RMB) from May 12 to 18 [1]. - The consumer price index for rice surged by 98.4% year-on-year, marking the highest increase for seven consecutive months [1][3]. - The government aims to reduce the price of rice to approximately 2000 yen (about 99.7 RMB) for 5 kg by June [2]. Group 2: Government Response - Newly appointed Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Shinjiro Koizumi, has initiated a direct supply strategy to large supermarkets at a price of 890 yen (approximately 44.3 RMB) for 5 kg, bypassing the previous bidding process [2]. - The government plans to release 300,000 tons of rice from reserves to stabilize prices, with the possibility of releasing an additional 600,000 tons if necessary [2][3]. - A special task force has been established to address the rice price issue, emphasizing the urgency of the situation [2]. Group 3: Political Implications - The rice price crisis has led to a decline in public confidence in the government, with a support rate of 31.7% for Prime Minister Kishida's cabinet, despite a slight increase [3][4]. - The opposition parties are leveraging the situation to criticize the ruling party, potentially impacting upcoming elections [4]. - Concerns exist regarding the relationship between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and agricultural cooperatives, which may be strained due to the new direct supply strategy [5].