US EditionJapanese retailers trying to overcome soaring rice prices
- The Japanese government announced on April 9 that it would release another 100,000 tons of stockpiled rice to address soaring prices, marking the third such move this year to tackle rising prices of rice, which doubled over the past year according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
- Retailers are responding to high rice prices by using cheaper ingredients like barley and sourcing lower-priced foreign rice, such as Taiwanese rice, to maintain sales.
- Experts highlight that Japan's rice production fell short of the predicted 6.8 million metric tons, producing only around 6.6 million tons, leading to supply shortages, according to a report from an agricultural economist.
- Consumer spending on rice has declined over the years, leading to reduced per capita consumption, as annual spending on rice dropped from 40,256 yen in 2000 to 27,196 yen in 2024.
14 Articles
14 Articles
A Big Deal in Japan: South Korean Rice for Sale
Japan's longstanding rejection of foreign-grown rice is eroding in the face of skyrocketing prices. Case in point: The Guardian reports the country has imported rice from South Korea for the first time since 1999. While the 2 tons of Korean rice shipped and sold this month represent just a "sliver"...
Rice becomes popular souvenir for Japanese visitors
An increasing number of Japanese tourists are visiting Korea to buy rice, as prices continue to soar in Japan, retail industry officials said Wednesday. Japanese visitors have increasingly been spotted filling their carts with rice at supermarkets in Seoul in recent weeks, they said. This growing trend was highlighted in a viral post on X, formerly Twitter, where a Japanese tourist shared her experience of buying rice during a trip to Korea and …
Japanese retailers trying to overcome soaring rice prices
Tokyo (Jiji Press) — The historic surge in rice prices in Japan has led retailers to seek alternatives, using less expensive ingredients like barley and noodles in bento meal boxes to curb prices and retain customers. Some retailers are expanding the sale of lower-priced foreign rice. In March, convenience store chain Lawson Inc. started selling
The average price of 5 kg of rice sold at about 1,000 supermarkets nationwide from the 7th to the 13th was 4,217 yen including tax, up 3 yen (0.1%) from the previous week. This is the 15th consecutive week of price increases. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries believes that sales of stockpiled rice began in earnest around the 10th...
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