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beijing, september 11 (xinhua) -- some japanese citizens held a rally in tokyo on september 10, criticizing the japanese government's policies that led to a reduction in rice production and ultimately a "rice shortage." they urged the government to take responsibility and take measures to ensure a stable rice supply.

according to japanese media reports, about 200 rice growers, retailers and consumers held a rally in front of the ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries office building on the 10th. they held up banners with slogans such as "rice cannot be bought, sold or planted" and demanded that the japanese government take measures to address the tight rice supply.

this is a photo taken on july 26 of rice on a shelf at a chain supermarket in tokyo, japan (photo taken with a mobile phone). photo by xinhua news agency reporter zhong ya

some parts of japan have been experiencing a "rice shortage" since july. with the recent arrival of new rice, the situation has eased somewhat, but the sharp rise in rice prices has left many consumers dissatisfied.

rice farmers who attended the rally said the real reason behind the "rice shortage" was the failure of the japanese government's relevant policies. in recent years, as japan's rice consumption has declined with the decline in population, the ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries has controlled rice production by providing subsidies to farmers who switch to other crops to maintain rice prices. combined with the reduction in rice production caused by the extreme heat last summer and the increase in foreign tourists driving up rice demand, rice supply is in short supply.

some participants said that although some new rice has been put on the market, this is just consuming the new rice in advance and cannot fundamentally solve the problem of insufficient rice supply.

the japanese public has been dissatisfied with the ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries for some time. faced with the "rice shortage" that had been on the horizon for a long time, the department was accused of being slow to act and not taking countermeasures. on the 3rd of this month, when asked when rice would be available, minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries tetsuo sakamoto used the words of a supermarket clerk as the official government answer, and at the same time declared that the rice shortage "will be resolved sooner or later", which triggered widespread criticism. (zhang jing)