Japanese gov't appeals for calm as panic rice buying continues

Most people are daft as a brush and believe any old cobblers they see on the box or social media. Remember in the west stores being cleaned out of bog roll during the pandemic, lol

A new harvesting season has started with 40 percent of the crop available by the end of September, a farm ministry official told AFP.

The main rice-producing regions start to harvest new rice in September, so the shortage should end soon.

Other factors include lower harvests caused by hot weather and water shortages, as well as increased demand related to record numbers of foreign tourists.

When everything fails just blame to foreigners.

supply shortage situation will be gradually resolved.

What's the plan to solve supply problem?

… as well as increased demand related to record numbers of foreign tourists.

Quote from Mainichi article “Why has Japan been hit with rice shortages, soaring prices despite normal crops?”

—

As for the suggestion that inbound visitors are consuming more, we cannot say this is a major factor. Even if around 3 million visitors were to stay in Japan each month for a week and eat rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner like many Japanese people, it would still only account for around 0.5% of total consumption. And in actual fact, not many visitors have rice for all three meals, so their consumption must be even lower.

—

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20240823/p2a/00m/0bu/024000c

I thought it was all those pesky foreigners gobbling it up based on the last few articles here.

Japanese rice farmers caused this and the Japanese people need to wake up and see they are being manipulated to pay way more for rice than needed so a few can be wealthy and not even plant. This self punishment mindset people do with needless suffering in the benifit if a few amazes me.

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It doesn’t help that the Japanese government has been pursuing a policy of rice acreage reduction for the past 50 years… purposely incentivizing farmers to reduce their rice yields with subsidies so as to push up the prices. Thanks Japan, real smart!

Too bad, Japan. Here in the US, nothing like this ever happens. There are no hoarders no matter how bad the situation is. It's never, ever, even once happened here. You should be like us.

as well as increased demand related to record numbers of foreign tourists.

Quote from Mainichi article “Why has Japan been hit with rice shortages, soaring prices despite normal crops?”

—

As for the suggestion that inbound visitors are consuming more, we cannot say this is a major factor. Even if around 3 million visitors were to stay in Japan each month for a week and eat rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner like many Japanese people, it would still only account for around 0.5% of total consumption. And in actual fact, not many visitors have rice for all three meals, so their consumption must be even lower.

—

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20240823/p2a/00m/0bu/024000c

exactly. this is more right wing dribble.

When everything fails just blame to foreigners.

exactly

In order for many customers to be able to buy, we ask you to purchase one (bag of rice) a day per family.

One bag a day is too much.

Who can queue up in the morning to buy bags and stockpile ?

Senior retired citizens and some housewifes.

Gentle Japanese are actually only thinking about themselves and become selfish when it comes to panic buying.

AFP and journalists, please stop mentioning inbound foreigners who have nothing related with that.

And in actual fact, not many visitors have rice for all three meals, so their consumption must be even lower.

It's certainly NOT the fault of foreign visitors that there is a rice shortage - but I'd wager that they do eat as much rice as Japanese, per person - in some cases more, seeing as rice is the staple food of most tourists in Japan.

As much as I like Japan, there are viciousness hidden under all the politeness and mannerism.

All the human qualities of distrust of others, panic-driven for the wrong reasons, lack of sympathy, that lead to in-group selfishness are very much present. Worst, these qualities are emphasized because they believe the law will protect them. e.g. "Hoard all the rice, the police will protect your loots."

Why are people buying up the rice? If there is a earthquake and power is lost, and water pipes are broke how do they plan to make rice? If power is gone and the rice is made ahead of time and is in the freezer until needed, the rice will go bad quickly once the power is gone. Am I missing something?

What this article doesn't present is that the government's policy of acerage reduction and its subsidization of rice growers is perhaps the main culprit. Mainichi News had a good article about this several days ago when they interviewed a former MAFF bureacrat and researcher. The article also explains how Abe tricked the people into thinking that this policy was abolished. Abe's ghost still haunts us. Check out the article here: https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20240823/p2a/00m/0bu/024000c

Gene Hennigh -

Too bad, Japan. Here in the US, nothing like this ever happens. There are no hoarders no matter how bad the situation is. It's never, ever, even once happened here. You should be like us.

So very incorrect, I don't even know where to start.

Hoarding is universal. Stores/governments need to set limits early to minimise people missing out.

What if the rice field are flooded and the wind blows the rice stalk down

As much as I like Japan, there are viciousness hidden under all the politeness and mannerism.

All the human qualities of distrust of others, panic-driven for the wrong reasons, lack of sympathy, that lead to in-group selfishness are very much present. Worst, these qualities are emphasized because they believe the law will protect them. e.g. "Hoard all the rice, the police will protect your loots."

absolutely

You should be like us.

No one should aim to be like the US. No one.

The government is directly responsible for this. The lemmings will do what they are conditioned to.

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Like toilet paper in a pandemic...

Yet curiously enough for nihonshu and happoshu production to go unfettered.

Why are people buying up the rice? If there is a earthquake and power is lost, and water pipes are broke how do they plan to make rice? If power is gone and the rice is made ahead of time and is in the freezer until needed, the rice will go bad quickly once the power is gone. Am I missing something?

You could cook rice on a fire, a portable gas stove or you could have a big mobile battery which could power the rice cooker. Personally, I have a portable gas stove with three gas canisters in reserve and I also have a big mobile battery with a solar power unit. So, as long as I have water I can eat rice indefinately. I just have to hope that my house stays upright or non of this matters!

The government has it all wrong. Instead of politely worded requests, they have to tap into the national psyche and use a talento. The talento's brief will be to pull stupid faces for a set period of time, say (in a massively exaggerated, squeaky voice) "hey, everyone, let's not buy too much rice!", then repeat this cycle on a 24 hour loop.

Bet that would work.

'Deeply ingrained' – tee-hee. :)

This is just wrong. The shortage has been caused by deliberate reduction in crop growth to aritificially inflate the prce of domestic grown rice. They made their own bed, let them eat no rice in it

In the UK during Covid it was toilet rolls. In Japan it is rice. I'm sure there are families with 70Kg of rice stashed in the corner of their apartment wondering if they have enough. You do! How much rice can a family consume, for goodness sake!

Still blaming foreigners, despite the Indian export blocks and megaquake scaremongering. Amusing.

I hope they will eat these hoards and not just keep them until they go mouldy.

"Rice acreage reduction is a terrible policy. The government spends over 300 billion yen (about $2.06 billion) in subsidies annually to decrease the amount of rice produced, thus going out of its way to raise the price and increasing the burden on consumers."

The government owns it.

Hey Fighto!

Gene Hennigh - 

Too bad, Japan. Here in the US, nothing like this ever happens. There are no hoarders no matter how bad the situation is. It's never, ever, even once happened here. You should be like us.

So very incorrect, I don't even know where to start. 

Hoarding is universal. Stores/governments need to set limits early to minimise people missing out.

Look at his wording. I'm pretty certain he was being facetious.

herd reaction.

as I wrote yesterday there is no shortage of rice.

Seriously these hoarders are idiots!

Yet curiously enough for nihonshu and happoshu production to go unfettered.

And the standard beers like Asahi Super Dry and Kirin that use lots of rice. Perhaps not eating grade, not sure.

factcheckerToday  08:00 am JST

You should be like us.

No one should aim to be like the US. No one.

The poster was obviously joking.

maybe someone could call the UN for assistance

I have no sympathy for this so-called shortage. Japanese tariffs on foreign imported rice has been ridiculous for years (over 500%). Forgive me for saying thought "Japanese rice is different".

Most sake breweries have already signed contracts for this year's harvest. Sometimes that bites them in the behind if they agreed to pay too much months before harvest takes place.

Yet curiously enough for nihonshu and happoshu production to go unfettered

It doesn’t help that the Japanese government has been pursuing a policy of rice acreage reduction for the past 50 years… purposely incentivizing farmers to reduce their rice yields with subsidies so as to push up the prices. Thanks Japan, real smart!

I've heard that some will take the subsidies and produce elsewhere, or pretend to prepare to produce in more fields than they can actually manage - just to take advantage of the subsidies.

Your taxes at work. smh

This is, by the way, how socialism works. Hopefully Japan will get a "taste" of what it's like to not have food and grow a brain.

Panic buying "because I heard that someone told my great uncle that my sister in law in america that mentioned to her snack bar friend in hokkaido mentioned that it might be less of a harvest this year compared to 27 years ago" so I bought 8 bags of 50kg rice today folks, cause this nonsense. Just buy as you normally do and you're fine.

All the rumors that it would be a lower than before harvest this year caused a panic buy and now theres nothing on the shelves for no real reason. Also you can still find rice but for the average Japanese person -mixed rice or brown rice isn't rice!" or some nonsense.

There are plenty of alternatives to rice.

Cake makes a perfect substitute…

We know the disaster will happen the next second probably, and what we need is the gov does something efficiency.

but I'd wager that they do eat as much rice as Japanese, per person - in some cases more, seeing as rice is the staple food of most tourists in Japan.

Fighto has studied the dietary habits of foreign tourists. LOL!

Gene Hennigh -

Too bad, Japan. Here in the US, nothing like this ever happens. There are no hoarders no matter how bad the situation is. It's never, ever, even once happened here. You should be like us.

Fighto!Today  07:51 am JST

So very incorrect, I don't even know where to start.

(WHOOSH..!)

"Please be cool-headed in your purchase activity by buying only the amount of rice you need,"

But there isn't any rice to buy! I bet Sakamoto has a kura somewhere stashed full of rice!

Can't blame people for hoarding! They know when the sh#t hits the fan they will only have themselves to rely on!

Have you seen how much rice goes uneaten and wasted by customers in Japanese restaurants?

Other factors include lower harvests caused by hot weather and water shortages, as well as increased demand related to record numbers of foreign tourists.

This is flat out misinformation. Stop it.

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20240823/p2a/00m/0bu/024000c

There's only a shortage because of import restrictions, which of course can be very easily changed if there is political willpower. In other words just hgher prices and inconvenience for consumers

now just imagine.

some country have attacked Japan.

how abt emergency rice supplies for people?are they some or there are NONE?

Better start learning how to mash potatoes then!

Any smart person realize that this rice crisis on the market is artificial, and it is only the Government and its lackey Media and Press who created unnecessary fear mongering and panic to the very gullible population, that trusts without questioning.

Not so smart people, will just downvote those kind of comments again, no surprise.

It's called HOARDiNG.

Japanese citizens can easily find, and blame, the person reasponsible for the shortage in any ordinary mirror or reflective surface.

There may be no shortage of rice from central stocks but there is a shortage in the supply lines probably from some people buying more.

More high-yield crops would be better—less growing higher yields.

I have just watched a news video on NHK World. In the video it tells the factors that cause this rice shortage:

Last year's drought and extreme heat destroyed crops.

Japanese are eating out more after the COVID restrictions.

Japanese are stocking up more in preparation for possible earthquake and typhoon this month.

The record number of foreign tourists arriving in Japan.

In my own humble opinion, it is a good report as it includes interviews with farmers. However, I cannot believe it would say "record number of foreign tourists" is a factor. Tourists numbers were high in Japan before the pandamic and there were no rice shortage. The shortage is caused by extreme weather and hoarding. Perhaps NHK is not as reputable as I thought.

yoshissn_88

NHK is the media bullhorn for the LDP & JPN gov as a whole.

NHK rarely losses any lawsuits it's I volved I and offices are often located right next to city offices, police stations, fire stations.

Not to mention kickbacks and other shady dealing between NHK & politicians.

New fresh rice will arrive next month and these people who panic buy and hoard will be left with their bags of old rice! Either way, if for some worst case scenario you can’t get rice for many weeks then there are alternatives such as making your own delicious bread at home or just going out to eat if you crave for rice!

This issue of rice shortage is self inflicted by the Japanese people and Japanese Government for not allowing more sale of rice from abroad ( as the Japanese Government have increased import tax dramatically on it ).

Japanese rice is overrated anyway! Most Japanese people don’t even appreciate Japanese rice because they make rice in rice cookers quickly and then deep freeze it in the refrigerator to eat later ( stale old frozen rice in the end )! Convenience over taste is the new philosophy for most Japanese people especially the middle aged and young!

@Gene Hennigh

Too bad, Japan. Here in the US, nothing like this ever happens. There are no hoarders no matter how bad the situation is. It's never, ever, even once happened here. You should be like us.

Being sarcastic? I live in the US as well. During the beginning of the pandemic tons of stuff was hoarded like toilet paper, water, supplies, food, etc. I remember going to several grocery stores and the shelves were bare. Many essential things were very difficult to find or I could not get. Complete insanity.

It will take a few months before new rice arrives in the stores.

I am living a bit outside of a smaller city in Kansai and I fail to see any rice shortage or food shortage in general.

Of course there is also plenty of other food available, like noodles, potatoes, bread and not only rice. This article about rice shortage is rather ridiculous.

You might show up with such a strange argument, blaming hot weather, not enough water or even foreign tourists etc. only in major cities where people have no contact to any rural area in Japan.

It's more about to justify higher prices, there is no rice shortage.

It's funny seeing this right before harvest. As if everyone forgot the shinmai will be in in about a month. For some reason this sort of thing gets hyped for all kinds of things. The dam reservoirs being low in Okinawa right before monsoon season starts, it being hot in summer, there being wild animals in nature.

Exactly!

The theme of the article is ludicrous.

Same with the butter shortages several years ago.

Whoever (really?) writes these articles appear not to comprehend that in the 21st century that there is a well connected network of trade routes connecting Japan to the outside world.

Aside from major cataclysmic events there are no shortages…

 deep freeze it in the refrigerator to eat later 

@Jim Really? I don't know anybody who does this?

Japanese rice is overrated anyway! 

I have eaten all kinds of rice from many countries and regularly eat Thai Jasmine rice, but I don't think Japanese rice is overrated. Even with minimal accompaniments it still satisfies!

Stop using our tax money to subsidise troglodyte rice farmers.

I'd rather eat cup noodles than rice.

My sister in law is a baker and always have all her breads sold out. She has stopped trying to produce more, as it is a tiring job.

And yes she imports the flour.

deep freeze it in the refrigerator to eat later 

@Jim Really? I don't know anybody who does this?

Same here. None of my in-laws or adult kids would willingly eat frozen rice.

I on the otherhand as a foreign barbarian have no problem w frozen rice. I do draw the line at veggy, potatoes, shrimp 'pizza?' tho. No sanks U..!

mountainpear

 deep freeze it in the refrigerator to eat later 

> @Jim Really? I don't know anybody who does this?

Sometimes we cook more rice than we need. Sometimes for breakfast the next day. We sometimes freeze the rice in ziplock bags used for instant rice for lunch. Tastes just as good.

This is the way.

Sometimes we cook more rice than we need. Sometimes for breakfast the next day. We sometimes freeze the rice in ziplock bags used for instant rice for lunch. Tastes just as good.

It's certainly NOT the fault of foreign visitors that there is a rice shortage - but I'd wager that they do eat as much rice as Japanese, per person - in some cases more, seeing as rice is the staple food of most tourists in Japan.

Really? I have been to Japan 8 times as a tourist (most of those occasions were actually sort of a pilgrimage) and stayed between 5 to 15 days and managed to avoid rice on all of those occasions.

I avoid rice even though my country is the second largest producer and second largest consumer of rice. And there are many others here who eat rice only if there is no other option.

If you have some statistics to back your assertion that rice is the staple of most tourists in Japan I will be happy to debate.

I am still mystified over this rice hoarding situation and probably because I’m not a rice consumer. Is it that of a irreplaceable necessity here..? I could understand the toilet paper or canned goods but I can certainly live without rice…

Jonathan Prin

I'd rather eat cup noodles than rice.

> My sister in law is a baker and always have all her breads sold out. She has stopped trying to produce more, as it is a tiring job.

Does your sister-in-law live in Japan?

And yes she imports the flour.

Why? Best flour is available from Hokkaido.

Excellent chance to get off rice once and for all. Mainly meat supplemented with occasional potatoes and vegetables for me from now on.

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Negligence or indifference of LDP government against natural disaster suffering area is also one of causes to boost unrest and panic buying rice.

Food aid for evacuees at Noto peninsula still depends on private volunteers despite about 8 months from quake hit.

jA is another agency long passed its pull date

If you have some statistics to back your assertion that rice is the staple of most tourists in Japan I will be happy to debate.

Most tourists are East Asian - we can all agree on that. (~80%)

The staple of the East Asian diet is rice - another thing we can agree on!

So I based my (non empirical) assumptions on that. (Yes - that assumption may well be wrong- most of these Asian tourists could be surviving on pasta, ramen and steak in Japan. But I suspect rice is eaten for a meal or two each day. )

 I have been to Japan 8 times as a tourist (most of those occasions were actually sort of a pilgrimage) and stayed between 5 to 15 days and managed to avoid rice on all of those occasions.

Please - give sushi a try next visit. Just once. It is one of the pleasures of Japanese cuisine. I know some foreigners baulk at the idea of "raw fish"...but give it a go!

Is it just me, or do you find JMA predictions for the pathway of typhoons are invariably based on the worst case scenario, which rarely happens.

In my 23 odd years in Japan I can only remember one particularly strong landing of a typhoon way back 2003, I think- I was living in Mie- ken at that time. And the JMA erroneously downplayed that one until very late, ironically (I could've predicted it by looking out my window at the same time they did).

Rarely eat rice anyway, and Japanese rice is way too starchy for the health, especially as you get older.

Fighto!Today 03:25 pm JST

Please - give sushi a try next visit. Just once. It is one of the pleasures of Japanese cuisine. I know some foreigners baulk at the idea of "raw fish"...but give it a go!

In that case, you could just opt for sashimi and skip the starch overload, right?

Homemade sushi is a different kettle of fish- You can skip all the arbitrary factory additives, which a lot of countries outside of Japan ban sushi retaurants and supermarkets from using.

@Jennie You live in Japan, and you don't know rice is the staple food!

Please - give sushi a try next visit. Just once. It is one of the pleasures of Japanese cuisine. I know some foreigners baulk at the idea of "raw fish"...but give it a go!

You got me there. I did have sushi multiple times so I take back my assertion that I managed to avoid rice. Drank lots of sake too, so I guess that counts too.

When I said I avoid rice in general I meant as the main course though.

If it includes dishes made from fermented rice batter then maybe I am as much of a rice eater than anyone else.

Other factors include lower harvests caused by hot weather and water shortages, as well as increased demand related to record numbers of foreign tourists.

Will you stop blaming the number of tourists. You really think every tourist who comes to Japan is going to stuff themselves with rice?

....Rice farmers say, there is no shortage of rice and they are selling to the market as usual. Truck drivers that deliver rice, say they are delivering rice normally and there is no problem in the logistics change.

Japan has a reserve rice stock in case of emergency, but the government is not releasing that stock (there is no need?)....

This shortage of rice is appartenly caused by an especulative rise of rice price (say that 5 times in a row) and fear mongering brewed by some media outlets.

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK581940/table/ch3.t4/

Interesting to note, diabetes is predicted comparitavely to go down in Japan- I would hazard a guess that the younger generations are varying their diet rather than sticking to the traditional rice based one.

It's probably the older generation panic-buying rice right now: Haven't seen many young people heaving around bags of rice, and as for the ridiculous insinuation that tourists are having an impact on percieved rice shortages, I'd take that with a pinch of... rice.

Fundamental cause of rice shortage in Japan is misstep of LDP regime about food during decades. 

But, Japanese major media never mention it, report only superficial events among citizen.

It must be all of those foreigner youtube reviews on 7-11 and family mart rice balls driving the demand. Coming this fall, all rice balls priced at 250yen to 500yen.

People are panic-buying because the news keep talking about this "Mega Quake" that's supposed to come in the next 30 years but the media makes it seem like it's coming today. The earthquake is going to come regardless if you prepare or not and how TF is there is a rice shortage? It's a staple food in Japan and doesn't require much to grow. I live in Tochigi and literally see dozens of rice fields out here every day and rice fully stocked on supermarket shelves. If people are buying faster than what is being produced, I blame the media, including JT, for participating in these fear mongering tactics. Stop fanning the fire.

Other factors include lower harvests caused by hot weather and water shortages, as well as increased demand related to record numbers of foreign tourists.

Bunch of lies..

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20240823/p2a/00m/0bu/024000c

Better to ease out on those carbs, and get more proteins. Is well known that over eating rice can cause type-2 Diabetes over long period. There are other better quality foods that can replenish rice with ease.

What a joke! The Japanese government caused the panic buying because of their baseless fear mongering! I’m so done!