Japan warns against panic buying as rice shortages bite

Japan warns against panic buying as rice shortages bite

TOKYO: The threat of a "megaquake", a series of typhoons and a week-long national holiday have some Japanese scrambling to buy rice - the nation's cherished staple food - with the government warning on Tuesday (Aug 27) against panic buying. "The rice crop is growing steadily and farmers in some regions cou

Japan faces rice crisis, as typhoons, ‘megaquake’, holiday spark panic buying

Despite government reassurances of sufficient supply, panic buying has led to rationing and long queues, highlighting the nation’s deep cultural connection to rice.

Japanese scramble to buy beloved rice as shortages bite

The threat of a “megaquake”, a series of typhoons, and a week-long national holiday have some Japanese scrambling to buy rice — the nation’s cherished staple food — with the government warning Tuesday against panic buying.  “We could only procure half the usual amount of rice this summer and bags of rice get quickly sold out,” a clerk at a branch of the popular Fresco supermarket chain told AFP in the Japanese capital. Rice shelves in some store…