Tokyo's rice prices surge 90% in March on year: CPI data

I went to Costco a week ago, and they were completely out of pasta; they usually have lots of different pastas. I'm wondering if the Japanese are turning to pasta as a substitute to the expensive and often unavailable rice...

So rice goes up 90% or so, but rice balls and other rice related items by just 10% or so. Shrinkflation, or? And is it still the fault of foreigners?

What an epic failure. 1918 Toyama Rice Riots anyone?

¥1000/kg. I'll put it in a safe place soon. We have plenty of rice, brown pasta, noodles, and whole wheat flour.

@wallace--I reckon down the pie hole would be a safe a place as any. Especially for prepper households, not saying yours, with closets full of multi-years stock of TP.

The spike in rice prices followed a poor harvest in the summer of 2023 due to high temperatures that reduced the amount of rice available for distribution the following year. A sharp rise in foreign tourists has also driven up rice consumption at restaurants.

A February editorial in the Asahi Shimbun states that Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries attributes the continuing high prices to “a distribution bottleneck” and “speculative purchasing by small businesses and some farmers’ reluctance to sell.” There is absolutely no mention of the ridiculous assertion of greater consumption by foreign tourists.

If anyone is responsible, it would be the Japanese owners of those small businesses, the Japanese farmers refusing to sell, and the Japanese consumers eating out more since 2023.

— Quote —

The rice shortages were first felt last summer, leading to a spike in prices. Although the shortage was resolved with the arrival of the new harvest in the fall, prices have continued to remain elevated.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries attributes the persistent high prices primarily to a distribution bottleneck. Additionally, the ministry notes that speculative purchasing by small businesses and some farmers’ reluctance to sell--driven by expectations of further price increases--have also contributed to keeping rice prices high.

— Unquote —

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15626936

The wife adds a cup of barley to every rice cook and tastes great, soak a cup of wheat grain overnight and add to the cooker works too.

I don't know from where some commentators here get the information that the rice prices are up because of "foreigners consuption"...

As Asiaman7 already said, the reason for this price is probably due to distribuitors holding and speculative purchasing. Rice producers have been producing normally, there was some lost of production due to heavy reains and floods in certain areas in Japan las year but still that is not enough cause for high prices.

For some reason (that i suspect I know why), want it this to be "the foregners fault" and do they can say that the Japanese are blaming it to foreigners becasue of racism.

Basically the same thing regarding the Shinto shrine news of yesterday.... they need it to be so the narrative is "Japanese are racist"

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Food-Beverage/Japan-rice-prices-up-30-to-40-as-tourists-lift-demand

https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/sushi-rolls-empty-bowls-how-surge-tourists-contributed-japans-biggest-rice-shortage-two-1727222

https://ssricenews.com/rice-news/related-news/rice-price-jumps-at-japan-supermarkets-amid-heat-damage-tourism-boom.html

etc

We now grow most of the Japanese rice we consume.

There are many empty rice fields that could be producing, but seems the government is incapable of fostering policies that could invigorate the local agriculture sector.

Better eduction that valued agriculture as a key industry, and a less consumerist society would help.

There are many empty rice fields that could be producing, but seems the government is incapable of fostering policies that could invigorate the local agriculture sector.

As far as I know, is the other way around. the govenment has been very effective in "reducing" the rice production by giving money to the rice producer to NOT to produce rice.

The reason for that bonkers policy are mainly 2.

1) To promote the production of other types of foods and not only rice (This is the sound good reason).

2) To keep internal production down, keeping Japan food produce short and dependant of carbohidrate (rice, wheat) imports available.... Mainly wheat import for US... so to keep US happy. (This is the real real reason).

Hmmm, after using the best rice cooker for a few years, came December 31st of last year and the damn cooker lid got stuck couldn't open we had to throw it away. Jokingly, I said rice trouble brewing.

Most do not know Yen buys over 5X fewer real asset than just 5 years ago using diversified commodities CRB CRB of approx. 40% food, 40% energy 20% metals

Above = "Why" for inflationary pressure & all currencies, but yen worse than most due to BOJ Money Printing

Rice, simply another commodity/see above!

Most do not know Yen buys over 5X fewer real asset than just 5 years ago using diversified commodities CRB Index of approx. 40% food, 40% energy 20% metals

Above = "Why" for inflationary pressure & all currencies, but yen worse than most due to BOJ Money Printing

Rice, simply another commodity/see above!

Feed the masses mochi!

Something else to thank Covid for and the mountains of money govts printed out of thin air!

Let’s start eating something else instead of rice.

TorafusuTorasanToday  03:57 pm JST

@wallace--I reckon down the pie hole would be a safe a place as any. Especially for prepper households, not saying yours, with closets full of multi-years stock of TP.

Agreed, can't 'grift' your way to prosperity. Japan needs to cut the tariffs for the sake of consumers, as hundreds of farmers dying daily. Pol's love the 'tariff' scheme, they take their $cut, but with zero farmers soon, it's game over

We got introduced to a great recipe in Australia a few years ago at a festival....Gyoza...not served with rice, but topping on a salad. It's awesome. No one needs white rice.

And yet, the government wants us to believe that annual inflation is officially only 2.2%...

. Mainly wheat import for US... so to keep US happy. (This is the real real reason).

Not so much.

In the 1970s Japanese dietary habits changed, with an increase in the consumption of bread and pasta. In response, the government urged rice farmers to switch to soy and wheat, paying them to do so, a policy called 減反。Coupled with the advanced age of farmers (2/3 over 65) and other factors, including speculation and hoarding, the price of rice remains stubbornly high.

Tokyo's rice prices surge 90% in March on year:

No, the price of rice did not surge 90% in March. It was 90% higher than March, 2024.

It's not just rice but even fresh vegetables are becoming expensive. This inflation and weakening of the Yen is the beginning of the wholesale destruction of the Japanese middle class. Young people will be poorer and worse off than their parents and grandparents. They also have to shoulder the burden of higher taxation to deal with the wave of retirees putting pressure on the pension system. This is only going to get worse never better.

They also have to shoulder the burden of higher taxation to deal with the wave of retirees

Population collapse should have been addressed in the 90s (gov't predicted; by no means limited to Japan, other countries failed to do so, including Korea).

hundreds of farmers dying daily.

Umm, no.

Feed the masses mochi!

Excellent way to deal with the rice shortage.

Let’s start eating something else instead of rice.

Clearly you don't know the first thing about Japan.

麺 屋？McDonald's? You need some educating:. rice and its iterations are inseparable from Japanese culture.

Let’s start eating something else instead of rice.

Pasta balls, perhaps. Or sushi minus the rice.

A sharp rise in foreign tourists has also driven up rice consumption at restaurants.

Well, I suppose the only solution is for the government to force tourists to bring their own food. Or add a 50% foreigner tax to restaurant meals.

Simple answer. Remove the 775% tariff on imported rice and import more. Not rocket science.

The demand is high the supply is low. That’s the reason the price is high.

@Alan Harrison WRONG analogy of the price has nothing to do with being a rocket scientist. So point of 775% tariffs is very much related to business, economics the supply and demand. That’s a business concern not a technical one.

Simple answer. Remove the 775% tariff on imported rice and import more. Not rocket science.

bleached white rice = diabetes and digestive illness

just cut it out your diet altogether

It's already surge over 100% on year in local cities.

Fundamental cause is misstep of LDP regime's agricultural policy.

hundreds of farmers dying daily.

Umm, no.

Yeah nah prob wouldn't be too far off since average age of 70 now and continuing to accelerate. But as in response to most crises here, heads continue to be buried in the sand.

The government could lower prices if they really wanted to. Egg prices in the US have fallen to a four year low over the past month. Government policy drives prices.