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out of stock, purchase restrictions...since july, many parts of japan have experienced a "rice shortage". officials in osaka prefecture once again called on the japanese central government to release reserve rice as soon as possible to ease supply tensions, but were rejected by central government officials.

why has the price of rice in japan risen so sharply?

analysts believe that the contradiction between supply and demand is the fundamental reason for the rise in japanese rice prices this year. on the one hand, the japanese government's adjustment of production policies and extreme weather have caused a decrease in the supply of japanese rice; on the other hand, factors such as the increase in foreign tourists visiting japan have led to an increase in rice demand, making the contradiction between supply and demand more prominent.

in addition, the japan meteorological agency issued a warning earlier in august that the possibility of a major earthquake in the nankai trough in the pacific east of japan has increased, prompting some people to buy and hoard rice in large quantities.

image source: video screenshot

at the same time, extreme weather caused a decrease in japan's rice harvest and a decline in quality last year. most of the rice currently sold on the japanese market is the rice harvested the previous year. last summer, japan's average temperature hit a record high since records began in 1898. the scorching heat caused the quality of rice to decline, and niigata prefecture, a well-known rice producing area, was particularly affected. according to official statistics, first-class rice accounted for 61.8% last year, a significant decrease from the previous year. the japanese famous "love at first sight" rice was sold for about 15,000 yen (about 703.5 yuan) per 60 kilograms in the fall of last year, and once reached 29,000 yen (about 1,367.9 yuan) in may this year.

regarding the future trend of rice prices, analysts believe that the upcoming new rice will alleviate the current situation of rising rice prices and shortages. however, due to the continued high temperatures in japan this summer, which may affect rice production and quality, the overall rice supply situation in the coming year is not optimistic.

rice shortage continues in many parts of japan

according to xinhua news agency on september 7, "rice shortage" has continued in many parts of japan recently.although some new rice has been put on the market, many supermarkets are still out of stock or have limited purchases. japanese people accused the ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries of being slow to act and not taking countermeasures, only claiming that the rice shortage "will be resolved sooner or later."

the "rice shortage" began to appear in some parts of japan in july, and now it has spread to more areas. according to japanese media reports on the 6th,the supply of rice is in short supply in tokyo, osaka prefecture, fukushima prefecture, hokkaido and other places, and the rice in some stores is sold out within just a few minutes of being put on the shelves.

faced with the continued shortage of rice and the high price of new rice, the japanese people expressed strong dissatisfaction with the ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, accusing the department of not taking countermeasures. according to japanese media reports, when asked on the 3rd when rice would be available, minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries tetsuo sakamoto replied: "i heard from the supermarket clerk that it is expected to arrive on wednesday (4th). i think the shortage of rice will be resolved sooner or later." faced with the sharp rise in rice prices, he said "the price of new rice will be higher."

this statement has sparked criticism from the japanese public. people questioned that as the minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, tetsuo sakamoto actually used the words of a supermarket clerk as the official government response. many people wrote on social media: "there is no rice, what should the people eat?" "no rice was sold in the kansai region today." "what is the government doing?"

in addition, the japanese people questioned the government's refusal to release reserve rice.

image source: video screenshot

according to cctv news, the "rice shortage" in many parts of japan has continued recently, and local governments, retailers and consumers have called on the central government to release reserve rice as soon as possible to ease the tight supply. on august 30, officials from the ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries said that this measure would not be taken, saying that releasing reserve rice might affect the circulation of rice.

some parts of japan have been experiencing a severe shortage of rice since july, and it has now spread to more areas. an emergency survey conducted by osaka prefecture last week showed that about 80% of local retail stores were out of stock of rice. similar situations have also occurred in saitama prefecture, fukuoka prefecture, oita prefecture and hiroshima prefecture. in some supermarkets, rice was sold out in just about 30 minutes after it was put on the shelves, and purchase restrictions had to be implemented. many supermarkets in the capital tokyo are also experiencing rice shortages.

on august 26, osaka governor yoshimura hirofumi called on the ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries to release government rice reserves, saying that "there is no need to let rice sit in warehouses" amid tight supply. retailers and consumers support this call, believing that now is "the right time to release reserve rice."

september 2, local time,officials in osaka prefecture once again called on the japanese central government to release rice reserves as soon as possible to ease the tight supply, but were rejected by central government officials. on the 2nd, osaka governor yoshimura hirofumi once again called on the ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries to release government rice reserves to ease the "rice shortage" and stabilize the high rice prices.previously, he called on the japanese government to release government-reserved rice on august 26, saying that "there is no need to let rice languish in warehouses." this call was supported by retailers and consumers, but was rejected by the central government.

the japanese ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries subsequently rejected the request on the grounds that releasing the reserve rice might affect the circulation of rice. japanese chief cabinet secretary yoshimasa hayashi said at a press conference on the 2nd that the government's reserve rice was released when the rice supply was insufficient throughout the year, and that the rice shortage would be alleviated as new rice is gradually coming on the market.

japan's rice price rises in rare

according to xinhua news agency, the current situation of rising rice prices and shortage of rice stocks has spread to the whole of japan. according to data from the ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries of japan,as of the end of june, japan's private rice inventory was 1.56 million tons, down 410,000 tons year-on-year, the lowest since 1999; the average wholesale price of brown rice in june rose 14% from the same period last year, the highest since august 2013. the nihon keizai shimbun reported that the current rise in rice prices is rare.

since the beginning of this year, the price of rice sold in japanese supermarkets has increased by about 20%, and some high-quality rice has even nearly doubled. one type of rice was priced at about 15,000 yen (about 703.5 yuan) per 60 kilograms last autumn, and reached 29,000 yen (about 1,367.9 yuan) in may this year.

an emergency survey conducted by osaka prefecture in august showed that about 80% of retail stores in osaka prefecture were out of stock of rice. in the capital tokyo, many supermarket rice shelves were empty. similar situations also occurred in saitama prefecture, fukuoka prefecture, oita prefecture and hiroshima prefecture. according to data from the ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, as of the end of june, the country's private rice inventory was 1.56 million tons, a year-on-year decrease of 410,000 tons, the lowest since 1999.

why has the price of rice in japan risen so sharply?

according to cctv news, why is there a shortage of rice supply and rising prices in japan this year? recently, the reporter interviewed eiichi aikawa, executive director of the japan rice and grain merchants association.

eiichi aikawa said that last year's high temperature was an important reason for the shortage of rice this year. he told reporters that japan's rice supply has been relatively stable in the past 30 years, and the main rice-producing areas are even mobilizing farmers to reduce rice planting and switch to wheat and soybeans to avoid excessive rice production and lower prices. unexpectedly, japan encountered high temperatures in the summer of 2023, with the average temperature hitting a record high since records began in 1898. this not only caused a decline in rice production, but also a decline in quality and a decrease in rice yield.

eikawa eiichi, executive director of the japan rice and grain merchants association: last year, the high temperature affected the rice production, which means that the amount that can be eaten as a staple food has decreased.

while the output has dropped, the consumption of rice in japan has unexpectedly increased, resulting in a shortage of rice in the market recently. director aikawa analyzed that compared with the recent sharp rise in the prices of various food products in japan, the increase in rice prices has been relatively small, which has led to an increase in rice consumption.

eikawa eiichi, executive director of the japan rice and grain merchants association: the prices of food such as bread are rising. although the price of rice has also risen, the average increase is only about 10%, so people may be more inclined to eat rice.

according to statistics from the ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries of japan, at the end of june this year, the rice inventory of the japanese private sector had dropped to 1.56 million tons, a decrease of 20% from the same period last year, the lowest point since 1999. aikawa analyzed that most of the new rice has not yet been put on the market, and the rice in the previous year has reached the lowest level of reserves. the shortage of inventory is the result of the above two reasons.

analysts believe that when new rice is put on the market in large quantities in autumn this year, the current situation of reduced rice inventory and tight supply will be alleviated. however, due to the hot weather in japan this summer, the main rice producing areas in eastern japan may suffer from heat damage, which may affect the rice harvest. the time when the rice market will be short of supply again next year may be earlier, and the trend of rising rice prices will continue.

daily economic news integrates cctv news and xinhua news agency