Rice shortage

Wow! They must sell a lot of onigiri. Those are huge shelves!

We have local shortages with stores limiting one bag per purchase.

The foreign tourists are eating all our rice. Next will be, they are using all the toilet paper.

The article fails to mention how every year there less farmers and this is ramping up very quickly now.

As of the latest data, the number of rice farmers in Japan is declining significantly, reflecting broader trends in the country's agricultural sector. Currently, the total agricultural population in Japan, including rice farmers, has shrunk by around 60% since 1985. Specifically, the number of people primarily engaged in agriculture, which includes rice farming, is approximately 1.75 million. The majority of these farmers are older, with around 63.5% of them being 65 years or older, making the average age of farmers in Japan over 68 years old.

This aging population is a major concern, as it not only reduces the labor force but also contributes to the abandonment of agricultural fields, particularly in highland and mountainous regions. The situation is expected to worsen, with the number of farmers continuing to decline and the average age increasing, unless significant reforms are introduced to attract younger people to the farming sector.

The Japanese government has been trying to address this issue by scaling up agricultural operations and considering measures such as introducing visas for foreign workers to alleviate the labor shortage. However, the challenges are immense, and the future of rice farming in Japan is uncertain as both domestic demand and production continue to decline.

For more detailed information on this topic, you can refer to sources like Nippon.com and the Mitsubishi Research Institute's reports on the current state of Japan's agricultural sector.

Japan can import California short-grain rice without tariffs.

Not according to this schedule posted by Japan Customs.

https://www.customs.go.jp/english/tariff/2024_04_01/data/e_10.htm

Wait isn’t JA the entity that buys 90% of rice produced supposed to store rice and ensure that these things don’t happen? Why are we paying JA three times the world market price then? What are they doing with 2x the profits?

For a brighter future with sustainable crop yield more young people are required in farming, among other things.

High on the heels of butter, potato chips, cheese, oranges, rolls in the rice shortage.

What next? Nation teeters on the brink....head screatch, , maybe we could just ease off some of those sky high tarrifs and import more?

No blaming the Asian tourists for eating all the rice?

Time to open more quality bakeries.

JT I think you need to fix that caption that is clearly a shelf for rice not rice balls.

An empty shelf that normally carries onigiri (rice balls) is seen at a supermarket in Tokyo. Recently, there has been a rice shortage in supermarkets throughout Japan. The shortage is believed to be due to the reduced yield of rice resulting from last year's extremely hot summer. Also, after the recent megaquake warning, many people started hoarding rice in case of disasters.

If anything is going to start a run on stores it is fear of a rice shortage. That and toilet paper.

I was shopping in Portland, Oregon today and found a 50lb bag of Calrose Fuji Mai Rice for just $27.00 (22.6 kg, 3900 JPY). Maybe it’s time Japan looks beyond local sources for stock and address the Shortage issues you’re facing!

My friend said that Canada's Costco is selling Hokkaido rice 10 kilo for 35 dollars, and this was just as recently as last week. So why is Japan having difficulties and Canada is not finding Japanese rice.

LDP regime who always prioritizes corporations' immediate profit than life of citizen, failed even food policy.

Supermarkets generally carry mostly higher quality and brands.

The local discount store chain has plenty of rice as do the local rice stores here in my area of Tokyo.

So as long was you are fine with Chiba koshihikari, or Ibaraki, etc...mix, etc... no problem.

But if you are stuck on only Niigata koshihikari well then get ready to look around a lot and pay more.

I find rice, especially short grain, over-rated. Give me basmati any day.

Basmati, without the 700% tax, that is.

They could easily drop the tariffs and have much better, cheaper rice there in an instant. Sorry, Japanese rice really is not all that great (brown rice is better, though).

Pukey2

Today 05:16 pm JST

I find rice, especially short grain, over-rated. Give me basmati any day

Good luck making a decent oniguri, sushi, donburi, etc ..with that.

Even making paella or risotto if you cannot find Bomba, Calasparra or Arborio short grain japonica will do.

Basmati not very versatile for Japanese food.

There is no shortage of rice over here in Cali. Had some yesterday at our favorite Japanese restaurant, and again today at our favorite Mexican restaurant. The brown rice at our favorite Chinese restaurant is delicious. My mom taught my wife and I how to make wonderful rice.

So, why doesn't Japan import more rice? I have heard that Japanese tourists will make a point of taking sacks of high quality California rice back home with them.

temporary thing as rice harvest in Japan is around corner...dont need to worry at all...

They could easily drop the tariffs and have much better, cheaper rice there in an instant. Sorry, Japanese rice really is not all that great (brown rice is better, though).

Nope it won't make much difference, I have seen American rice sit on the shelf at half the price and no one wants it and honestly California rice is lower quality than the cheapest Chiba mix or most local stuff they can't sell.

As for non Japonica/short grain, they are not suited for most Japanese meals/recipes.

It is like trying to make Biryani with Short grain rice and not basmati, just doesn't work.

Ask for the brown rice part, all rice is basically brown rice if not polishes and had the bran removed

So Japanese rice is available brown, like all the rest of the types of rice but again good luck making most dishes using brown rice.

1glenn

Today 07:30 pm JST

There is no shortage of rice over here in Cali.

No actual shortage in Japan.

If people want low staste and standards of California rice and low price, then it is available in most discount stores, the no brand low quality Chiba, Saitama, west Tokyo, Hokkaido, etc... Japonica.

The only shortage is good quality rice, and poor California rice doesn't come close to even the lowest Niigata koshihikari blend.

So, why doesn't Japan import more rice? I have heard that Japanese tourists will make a point of taking sacks of high quality California rice back home with them.

Never! Where did you hear that one?

If they did it was to let family taste how bad top American rice is compared to low quality Japanese.

A few comments here are interesting.

They fall into the

" tell me you don't eat Japanese food, whiteout telling me you don't eat Japanese food"

We always buy a few bags each month, so I accumulated 35kg bags of rice that I store, so we are good for a very long time. we eat equally a lot of potatoes, so I grow the Idaho russets in my garden, I always try to think ahead of the main necessities just in case and why? Because you never know.

Been to 3 supermarkets today for weekend grocery shopping.

Local rice of all varieties in abundance.

And price is not expensive.

This article just seems like a grab for clicks.

Just today the small Gyomu Super ( 業務スーパー) near my place had plenty of rice available including a load of cheap mixed Chiba koshihikari (mixed means blend from multiple different farms as opposed to a single location)

10kg ¥2900 which is higher than usual normally ¥2200 to ¥2500.

Also available was non specified Japonica blend from all around Japan at ¥2000 for 10kg (this would be equal to top quality California rice).

The article is focussed on supermarkets and as I previously pointed out the name brand supermarkets only carry brands and top region rice.

If you are not interested in Niigata koshihikari, Akita Komachi etc.. non blend form single farms, then most discount stores have plenty of lower quality rice.

Had I not read the article, I wouldn't even know about this supposed shortage, I buy from Gyomu Super or Donki whichever has the Niigata blend at the lower price and if not I am fine with Chiba koshihikari.

Sounds to me an article for the supermarkets to justify raising prices.

Along the lines of doubling the price of frozen fried potatoes at the local big chain claiming the low yen but at Gyomu Super no such doubling of the price, the price of frozen fries imported from Belgium did go up by about 10% but not double like a certain large popular supermarket chain that claimed it was because of the low yen.

The top California rice brand is Tamaki. Tamaki Gold (white rice) and Tamaki Haigamai are quite a bit better tasting than Japanese cheapest options. It is not cheap but a friend of mine who buys large amounts for a large family told me she recently picked up 15 lbs (6.8 kg) for $30 at a Chinese grocery.

https://www.tamakimai.com/

My favorite Asian market decided to close its doors permanently. 20% off of everything. I bought 7 bags of my favorite rice because I eat white rice every day at every meal. So I've got almost, but not quite, a year's supply of rice. It's called Nishiki but is grown in California. I don't know if Nishiki owns rights to the rice or if it's just Japanese rice that comes from plants imported to California or if it's just California rice. But I've got plenty for now. The article makes me feel for Japan and wary that the US, too, will begin to have a shortage. I'm pulling for Japan to get more rice however which way it can. The article makes me nervous.

Here in Komaki, Aichi, there is no rice shortage, yesterday I saw at Kanesue and last week at Gyomy Suppa. Some time ago I bought a 5 kg bag of Koshi Hikari rice from Niigata at Amazon, and when I read the first news regarding the low rice stock, I noticed a price increase of more than 30%. I would love to have the option to buy the excellent Japanese rice produced in the USA.

antique - spot on about Gyomu and spot on about rice availability.

Because there's a shortage of Chateau Rothschild cru classe or Penfolds Grange doesn't mean there's a red wine shortage.

I repeat - this headline is a grab-me and the article focuses on a small aspect of the market.