Agricultural cooperatives and other groups in Japan that collect rice from farmers sold a record-low 1.32 million tons of the grain from the 2025 harvest to wholesalers as of the end of May, down about 17 percent from a year earlier, the farm ministry said Tuesday.
The decline in rice sales through the conventional distribution channel, which accounted for just under half of the 2025 harvest collected, comes as demand has shifted to cheaper government-released stockpiled rice as well as imported rice.
Private-sector rice inventories rose about 51 percent to 2.23 million tons as of the end of May, reaching a level on par with the record high recorded in 2014, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
Retail rice prices have been declining since the government began releasing stockpiled rice, including through direct contracts with retailers, last year. Prices could fall further if wholesalers seek to reduce inventories by discounting rice.
According to the ministry, the average retail price of a 5-kilogram bag of rice at around 1,000 supermarkets nationwide fell to 3,590 yen in the week ending June 21 after peaking at 4,416 yen in the week from Dec 29, 2025, to Jan 4.
In March, the ministry projected that private-sector rice inventories would reach a record high of 2.34 million tons by the end of June. While the latest figure does not include rice held by small wholesalers or farmers, it still far exceeds the appropriate inventory level of 1.8 million to 2.0 million tons.
© KYODO
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A garlic eater_
Actually, as an alternative to rice, lentils have more protein and micronutrients, and they can be cooked in a rice cooker.
Let’s consider if we really want to eat white rice, which loses nutritional value through polishing, and consists mostly of empty carbs, when nutritious alternatives are available.
Take care of your body!
sakurasuki
But it's still doubled compared 2024 price, so with same amount of money people could get 10 kg in 2024.
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/20/japans-core-inflation-hits-highest-level-since-jan-2023-putting-pressure-on-boj-to-raise-rates.html
Agent_Neo
There is no point in listening to the opinions of people who have never eaten delicious rice.
You cannot simply switch your staple food.
A population cannot grow on a diet of beans alone.
Who would agree if you told Europeans to make beans, rather than bread, their staple food?
To make it easier for young people to enter agriculture, the government should stop the wasteful handing out of money and instead set a minimum purchase price for rice.
tora
Crisis over. Soon back to 1700 yen for 5kg.
Legrande
If you combine lentils with rice you might have something, not that anyone in India hasn't been doing that for thousands of years already
OssanAmerica
That is a medically silly concept, as one can not replace the other. Beans are eaten throughout the world as an accompanying vegetable protein source alongside rice as a carbohydrate. The human body needs both to maintain health.
raincloud
No one is suggesting to COMPLETELY replace rice with lentils. The idea is that one can supplement the other.
itsonlyrocknroll
Wholesalers’ agricultural co-operatives are price fixing, inventory hoarding, example Shinmei Co., Ltd.
It is the market dominance of agricultural groups/Japan Agricultural Co-operatives (JA) all must face independent scrutiny for their heavy influence.
Areas like the setting national market benchmarks/advance payment system to farmers. intentionally hoarding grain supplies.
My local SunnyMart/Sunshine/Ace One, ,mid-price rice quality 5 kg is average around ¥3,500
Look, Rice in Japan is not simply a national staple; it is a dinner table religion.
Aly Rustom
Exactly! People are discovering there are alternatives to rice.
We did.
Satoyama
My breakfast/lunch table religion is sourdough bread.
dan
Reduced rice a lot due to the price.
Bread & potatoes much better and cheaper.
TruckBoy
Demand will rebound, since prices are falling.
WoodyLee
Wheat My Friend, plant wheat .
itsonlyrocknroll
My breakfast region once and week is fry up Frida, my locally sourced full English with a side order of Japanese egg fried rice, with co-workers’ colleagues.
Middle of the table huge hill mound of egg fried rice, with a crazy platter of full English breakfast, bacon, eggs, sausages from a local butcher, fried slices, tomato’s, home made beans provided by a local, close by J restaurant.
We fill the restaurant out for an hour.
That is customer service Japanese style
JA in all honestly has some questions to answer
nickybutt
You can buy unpolished rice and then take it to a polishing machine and only take off as much as you want. That way you can eat much more nutritious rice.
Andy
So many healthy alternatives to bleached, polished and no nutrition white rice.
ShinyAndChrome
Protectionism = low agricultural productivity
5kg of rice costs:
Japan: ¥3590
Australia: ¥1405
USA: ¥1035
USA: 207 ¥/kg 9kg bag for ¥1863 US$11.46 https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-Long-Grain-Enriched-Rice-20-lb/10315883
Australia: 281 ¥/kg 10kg bag for ¥2,810 A$25.00 https://www.coles.com.au/product/fortune-everyday-basmati-rice-10kg-1500053
Spitfire
Great point and lentils are way cheaper as well.
At a nearby Asian supermarket the red ones cost ¥330 per kilo.
itsonlyrocknroll
There is no fighting against the rice “genie” wholesaler regime in Japan]
Look at the header photo there are probably hundreds of thousands more similar warehouses throughout Japan.
All under the control of JA
Every meal has a rice side, my favourite at the moment is with smoked herrings (kippers)
It is additive
wallace
A local store has Californian Calrose rice for ¥2.500/5kg and sold out very quickly.
We don't eat rice every day. Maybe three or four times a week, and mostly brown rice with 16 grains. I always eat bread for breakfast. We eat noodles and potatoes. A 30 kg bag lasts from one rice season to the next.