Japan rice prices hit new high despite gov't countermeasures

The spike in rice prices follows a poor harvest in the summer of 2023, as high temperatures reduced the amounts available for distribution the following year.

Yeah, this is the new excuse. Its been given elsewhere in recent days.

Funny how they utterly ignore that this excuse would only be valid for the first 9 months or so of 2024 (back when rice cost way less than half as now), and now that its 2025 it is no longer a valid reason.

How about this: there are lots of people and/or companies clearly colluding to jack the price in there, since someone is obviously earning all this additional money being spent by literally everyone in Japan. So it shouldn't be too hard for the gov't to trace the receipts...

The spike in rice prices follows a poor harvest in the summer of 2023, as high temperatures reduced the amounts available for distribution the following year.

A February 2025 Asahi Shimbun editorial attributes the continuing high prices to “a distribution bottleneck” and “speculative purchasing by small businesses and some farmers’ reluctance to sell.”

— 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

Lack of competition will do this.

Farmers and rice production simply falling too fast, time for Japan to 'give up the goat' and lower import tariffs

This is by design. Prepare to be squeezed much more.

What is JGovt countermeasures? Add more farmer? Add more farmland?

Basically nothing really work. Please don't foreigners this time.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2025/04/07/food-drink/rice-shortage-japan-reserves/

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20250311/p2a/00m/0na/012000c

They fell by half in two years? Don't think so. This is market manipulation.

Farmers and rice production simply falling too fast, time for Japan to 'give up the goat' and lower import tariffs

Japan rice prices hit new high despite gov't countermeasures

maybe time to start importing more rice to bring the price down.

Japan imports 750,000 tons of rice under various agreements and free of tariffs. The rice becomes part of the government emergency storage. If it becomes too old it is sold as animal feed.

Could like, I dunno, not eat rice or something.

Allow rice import for months and 5kg bag will go down below 2000yen

well I saw rice from Vietnam recently.

in local shop.

price abt 60% of japanese equal.

may buy and try.

there is no rice shortage in Japan.all of this is just a pure speculation of a few who controls the whole market.

say californian rice.last year 10kgs like 2800jpy now price close to japanese one.usd rates did not changed that much so what is reason for that?

answer is simple-greed.

I still don't understand why rice is being auctioned. That is how to get the highest prices people are willing to pay. If the government is using reserves, they should be sold at cost. There is no reason for the government to be making a profit.

Japan's citizens should be paying FAR less for rice, than now if foreign imports were widely available.

Foreign imports would be bought by most consumers, while expensive 'quality' Japanese rice produced would seek out premium markets both inside & outside of Japan

Tariffs, corrupt business arrangement between rapidly shrinking domestic rice industry and their Political and Bureaucratic $"partners", like all industries $corrupted by tariffs, damaging both Consumers & Economic Growth.

The spike in rice prices follows a poor harvest in the summer of 2023, as high temperatures reduced the amounts available for distribution the following year.

Since 2024 harvest was normal the 2023 excuse does not hold water anymore. It's just pure speculation, the govt should crack down on companies hoarding the rice in order to inflate the price.

Because there's no reason to bring the price back down. The demand stayed the same and retailers didn't see a change even when the prices were high.

With all the talk of giving out 50,000 yen cash paeyments, I'd much rather the gov't give us one of those 60kg bags of rice they've got stored away.

Allow rice import for months and 5kg bag will go down below 2000yen

Buying Californian rice at Costco these days. Delicious and cheap. Bring foreign rice to the domestic market and watch the prices drop like magic, just please keep toxic plastic rice from that country out.

Eat bread instead, rice is not a good nutrition!

Corporatists never miss an opportunity to use a disaster, tragedy, or human suffering to boost their profits.

finally rich

Buying Californian rice at Costco these days. Delicious and cheap. 

That's what we ate for almost 20 years, while living in California. Although, Calrose, the brand they sell at Costco, was not usually our favorite. But, it'll do, especially at around half the price as domestic.

Once we run out of our current supply of domestic, we'll be buying California rice from Costco. I just hope they get it back in stock online soon, or that our current supply lasts until our next planned trip to the warehouse.

Of course the goverment is selling their stock. Buy cheap sell high. They are making a huge profit just like the farmers and reseller. Instead of opening competition they close the look and the Japanese suffer. 5kg in Indonesia cost 500 yen. Thailand 500 yen. Perhaps the Japanese farmer is really scared of competition. Let the consumer decide.

import

Basmati rice please!

Well pointed out divinda. No wonder almost a fifth of Japanese have reduced their rice consumption because of the price rises - see the survey in yesterday’s JT.

Stop eating it, watch how fast you lose weight.

Eat a salad all the time instead.

Break your brainwashing of needing to eat rice every day, it is nutritionally USELESS

You can buy a head of lettuce for barely ¥100 and tomatoes aren’t that expensive either, try checking the price of those items from the USA (Walmart. Com) , not cheap like here…figure that one out

That's pretty much what I pay for a 5kg sack of Hokkaido-grown rice here in New England.

its an easy fix, government should double or even triple the amount of imported rise at zero tariffs, J farmers will release their stocks faster than they could blink. release your stocks or well flood the market. thatll wake them up

WA4TKG

Break your brainwashing of needing to eat rice every day, it is nutritionally USELESS

Not true. Genmai rice is an excellent source of fiber, carbohydrates, and other nutrients. Sure, white rice doesn't have the fiber and other nutrients. But, it is a major source of carbohydrates. I prefer pasta and bread for that. But, to each their own.

You can buy a head of lettuce for barely ¥100 and tomatoes aren’t that expensive either,

Where the heck do you buy your produce? A head of lettuce is like ¥200 and tomatoes are quite expensive, where I am.

Calling the situation "extremely irregular," farm minister Taku Eto called on rice wholesalers and retailers to make efforts to lower prices at a meeting held the same day, asking them to "understand the intentions and aims of the reserve rice sales."

Why don't the ministry make efforts? Set prices of rice released by the govt and enforce it.

First thing is selling it at fixed price, not auctioned

Because Japanese "countermeasures", which are always the equivalent of closing the barn door after the livestock has left...and grown old and died elsewhere, aren't actually countermeasures -- they are just hoping and praying the problem will go away, as well as pleading with business leaders to cooperate and lower prices if they would please and so sorry.

While I am regularly against such intervention, I think that in the case of rice, supplies and prices should be regulated by the government and players should not be allowed to buy rice to speculate and influence prices.

Lol, maybe it's time for Japanese to consider healthier alternatives to rice like quinoa or bulgur grain