Key Facts
• May 18, 2025: Shinjiro Koizumi posts a video eating beef bowl in an official car.
• Video surpasses 3 million views on Instagram, drawing significant attention.
• Caption: “Parked in the Diet premises, eating beef bowl before the plenary session.”
• Video duration: Over 10 seconds, showing Koizumi eating silently.
• Beef bowl likely purchased from Yoshinoya, located within the Diet premises.
• Similar videos by Koizumi, including June 13, 2025, lunch video, reached 2 million views.
• Criticism: Opposition figures question the necessity of posting lunch videos.
• Past posts include daily lunch videos from the Ministry of Agriculture’s cafeteria.
• Opposition MP Ichiro Ozawa criticized the posts as insensitive amid food insecurity.
• Recent post marks a return to lunch videos after a hiatus.
Summary
Shinjiro Koizumi, Japan’s Minister of Agriculture, sparked attention with a May 18, 2025, Instagram video showing him eating a beef bowl in an official car before a plenary session. The video, which surpassed 3 million views, is part of a series of lunch-related posts that have drawn both public interest and criticism. Critics, including opposition MP Ichiro Ozawa, questioned the appropriateness of such posts, citing food insecurity concerns. Despite a recent pause in lunch video uploads, Koizumi’s return to this content format continues to generate debate.
