Japanese rice price to wholesalers hits record high in October

strong demand for Japanese cuisine amid a boom in inbound tourism.

Seriously? It's the weak yen -- something caused by the LDP and BOJ -- more than anything. Tourists can take the blame for some other of society's problems, but this isn't one of them.

Sadly the rest of Asia gets 5kg for about 700 yen. Japans policy to keep inefficient Japanese rice farmers wealthy makes everyone else poor. Are many of the rice farmers using the semi-slave workers called trainees to grow as well?

Japanese cuisine amid a boom in inbound tourism.

I just knew they'd get the blame again.

affected by strong demand for Japanese cuisine amid a boom in inbound tourism.

So tourists want to eat as well? Monsters!

There are two responses to this situation. Plant more rice. Import more rice. If the shortage is genuinely down to increased tourism, the money to fund the extra has already been paid into the economy.

Funny how other countries don't have this problem. Japan's policy to keep foreign rice out and actively shielding the population from it are the real reasons why households are suffering so much now. Gotta protect those vested interests whatever the cost.

Maybe the government should stop using tax payers money to buy up all the rice at the end of the season (and store it in warehouses) with the sole purpose to keep the price high and keep the rice growers in business?!

partly affected by strong demand for Japanese cuisine amid a boom in inbound tourism.

It has been proven that this is a lie. Would beg to reporters to stop just repeating the LPD lines and actually do their job.

Typical blaming tourists again... When will this ever stop?

Here is the thought. Release some of the hoarded rise by the Government on the market (to keep the price high), and significantly reduce the import tarrifs for outside of Japan rise.

Funny how in Japan, the rice is by far THE MOST expensive in the world, and nobody questions why...

Shoganai.

I bought 30 kg for ¥8,500. ¥283/kg. A friend gave me another 15 kg.

The shop price is ¥1,400/2 kg.

Rising production costs?

What a silly excuse!

This is all BOJ and MOF doing, not tourists. Should see the video of MOF minister saying how much money Japanese have in their savings and that he needs to dig them all out because they're "sleeping" money and that the inflation is no big deal because "we" have so much savings.

yes, rising production costs.

japan has a very high usage rate of ag chemicals per unit, much of it imported.

ukraine was one of the worlds largest producer of fertilizer, so all countries are competing for alternate sources. the exchange rate has affected that also.

We tried growing our own rice this year. Regular expected yield 110kg. We got 55kg. We are only hobbyists but it still takes a lot of work, and as with the rest of the world, Japanese farmers don't get paid enough for their produce.

Sorry, but food prices should be higher, and to help get prices down, more people should be engaged with growing their own food.

Time for a free market in rice, without MAFF interference.

Bring DOGE to Japan, price controls are one thing we can do without.

@Peter Neil

When was your last trip into the Japanese countryside?

Take a look and see the real reason for the high rice prices…

"Rice prices have remained high in the country after the private-sector inventory dropped to its lowest level in a quarter of a century this summer, partly affected by strong demand for Japanese cuisine amid a boom in inbound tourism."

Pesky foreigners AGAIN!

This is 100% a domestic problem brought on by the government's methods of dealing with and subsidizing local farmers, who refuse to be competitive and demand the handouts. Of course, this also depends on extremely high tariffs on much cheaper, and often much better tasting, foreign rice. Stop blaming foreign toursists, especially when you want more and more of them to come and spend their money.

And sorry, it's Japanese "food", not "cuisine".

It started during the panic buying of foods commodities during the Nankai thru earthquake. Rice were hoarded and when it came out the price was Doubled.

This is one sure way to piss off the general public, you can take away the beer, the sake, the tobacco, and even the shoyu, but you can never take away the RICE.

According to trading economics :

Rice decreased 2.43 USD/CWT or 13.84% since the beginning of 2024, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks the benchmark market for this commodity. Historically, Rice reached an all time high of 24.46USD in April of 2008.

kurisupisuToday  09:30 pm JST

@Peter Neil

When was your last trip into the Japanese countryside?

Take a look and see the real reason for the high rice prices…

what is the real reason?

Bought 30kg at 8000 yens from a local farmer. Plus 300 for Sendai.

He increased by 1000 yens since last year.

He told me that JA is playing with prices and should release more rice. I believe this year price will be the new normal

One local city of Japan, rice price at store is about 60〜70% higher with comparing half year before.

Its cause is not only cost, failures of food policy.

Buying-rice itself is so difficult for poverty class.

The impact of foreign tourism would play a role, for sure, but the main reason rice prices were higher this year was because of the rice hoarding by Japanese households after the earthquake scare in August. In many parts of Japan (not all) there was no rice on supermarket shelves for 3 weeks or more. I suspect demand for rice remains high as households continue to buy above normal levels as part of their earthquake preparations.

The rise is prices is about tourism but not too a significant extent. Prices in Japan for many commodities are inflated by the number of transactions before it gets to consumer. Consumers need to find rice farmers who are selling rice direct and cut out the middle men especially JA and pay the farmer without the price rise demanded by middle men. This is a win for the farmer and consumer. Consumers in Japan have to free themselves of the supermarket convenience and take direct action. If supermarket sales go down then the price will go down as supermarkets try to regain sales.

I really applaud you for giving this a go. Your yield will increase with your experience. You obvously have land, have you considered sharefarming? Getting a more experience rice grower to grow it for you. They will probably get the 110kg and your half for minimal work would be 55kg :)

We tried growing our own rice this year. Regular expected yield 110kg. We got 55kg. We are only hobbyists but it still takes a lot of work, and as with the rest of the world, Japanese farmers don't get paid enough for their produce.

Sorry, but food prices should be higher, and to help get prices down, more people should be engaged with growing their own food.

the article title and content is about price to wholesalers, not consumers.

Was fortunate to be connected to a local grower, and got 50 kg for Y20,000, even that is Y5000 higher than last year!

30kg 9.000JPY bought from local farmer last weekend...this years harvest.