Despite the emergency reserves being released in Japan, rice prices continue to rise rapidly. The production of rice, which holds an essential place in Japan’s traditional cuisine, has been negatively affected in recent times due to climatic events and natural disasters. In response, the Tokyo government released around 210,000 tons of emergency rice reserves in February to balance the increasing prices caused by the decrease in production. According to reports in the national media, rice prices across the country are still on the rise despite the government’s move. It is estimated that the perception of a “rice shortage” and high wholesale prices hinder the price drop, despite the government’s efforts to increase supply in the market. According to government data, the average price of a 60kg sack in the country has increased by 55% to $160 compared to two years ago.

“INSUFFICIENT STOCKS” The owner of a rice shop that has been in operation for approximately a century, Hattori Jun, stated in an interview with the state television NHK that they were unable to benefit from the product released to the market and indicated that their stocks were insufficient. Hattori mentioned that complaints about the high price of rice are made every day and reported that the prices in his shop have increased by 3.5 times the average before the shortage began. Highlighting that all shops are continuing to raise prices, Hattori mentioned that the variety of rice being sold has also decreased. In the past, the Japanese government had previously released around 40,000 tons of emergency rice reserves during the 2011 earthquake and approximately 90,000 tons during the 2016 earthquake.