Akie Abe, widow of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, visited the Kremlin on May 29th and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the meeting, Akie was seen tearfully listening to Putin’s words, reflecting the emotional nature of their exchange. Following the conversation, she was invited to ride in Putin’s official limousine to the Bolshoi Theatre, where the two attended a ballet performance together.
Prime Minister Ishiba met with Montenegrin Prime Minister Spajic in Tokyo on May 28th during the latter’s official visit to Japan, marking what both leaders described as a historic occasion.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has temporarily halted new applications for discretionary contracts to purchase rice from government reserves, Agriculture Minister Koizumi announced on May 27th. The decision comes after applications for 2022-harvest rice reached the quota limit of 200,000 tons.
Japan’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Koizumi announced that 19 companies have applied to purchase a total of 90,824 tons of government reserve rice under a discretionary contract framework. He added that distribution could begin as early as May 29th, with sales expected to start in stores during the first week of June.
As rice prices hit historic highs, the government is moving to counter rising costs by offering reserve rice to major retailers at a target price of around 2,000 yen for 5 kilograms, Agriculture Minister Koizumi announced on May 26th.
The Japanese government will begin selling its stockpile of rice directly to major retailers, aiming to put 5-kilogram bags on supermarket shelves for around 2,000 yen (before tax) as early as early June, Agriculture Minister Koizumi announced on Monday.