Key Facts
• July 1: Joetsu Mayor Kanta Nakagawa criticized Sanda City rice as “bad.”
• July 3: Reiterated rice criticism during a discussion with vocational students.
• July 29: Nakagawa traveled 370 km to Sanda City for an apology tour.
• Apology included Sanda Mayor, rice farmers, and JA officials.
• Sanda Mayor Katsuya Tamura accepted the apology “for now.”
• JA officials expressed concerns over potential rice price drops.
• Nakagawa praised Sanda rice as “delicious” after tasting it.
• Shizuoka’s Ito Mayor Maki Takubo faces academic fraud allegations.
• July 29: A witness claimed Takubo admitted not graduating from Toyo University.
• Ito City received 2,800 complaints about Takubo, straining staff resources.
• July 31: Takubo to hold a press conference on her future.
• Ito City Council demands Takubo submit her diploma and testify again.
Summary
Joetsu Mayor Kanta Nakagawa faced backlash for calling Sanda City rice “bad,” prompting a 370 km apology tour to Sanda. He apologized to the mayor, farmers, and JA officials, who voiced concerns about rice value. Sanda Mayor Katsuya Tamura tentatively accepted the apology, and Nakagawa later praised the rice as “delicious.” Meanwhile, Ito Mayor Maki Takubo is under scrutiny for alleged academic fraud. A witness testified that Takubo admitted not graduating from Toyo University. Ito City has received 2,800 complaints, overwhelming staff. The city council is pressing Takubo to provide her diploma and testify again. Takubo plans to address her future in a July 31 press conference.
