The recent tumultuous rice price situation in Japan has been a rollercoaster ride. Beginning with a poor harvest in 2023 and a minor rice shortage in the late summer of 2024, many began to think Japan ...

Shinjiro Koizumi, agriculture minister of Japan, eats a rice ball during his visit to a rice farm in Sugito, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. Reporter Whether it’s posting ...

In response to soaring supermarket rice prices, the Japanese government released 210,000 tonnes of rice from its emergency reserves in February 2025, despite an abundance of rice production in the ...

Japan's former farm minister said he has never had to buy rice as he received it from his supporters. The comment struck a nerve with locals amid rocketing prices of the beloved staple. Rice in Japan ...

A farmer harvests rice in a paddy field in Tambasasayama, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, on Aug. 28, 2024. Reporter In Japan, the ruling government is weighing whether or not to put rice on the table.

Prices of a five-kg bag of rice in supermarkets have dipped below 4,000 yen, the lowest in about two months. The shortage also seems to be easing, according to Japan's national supermarket association ...

Shinjiro Koizumi has scrambled to cut soaring rice prices ahead of a high-stakes election this weekend. Will it be enough to buoy support for the Liberal Democratic Party? By River Akira Davis and ...

Why is Christian Science in our name? Our name is about honesty. The Monitor is owned by The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and we’ve always been transparent about that. The church publishes the ...

Faced with shortages and rising prices for domestic rice, many Japanese are doing what was once unthinkable — buying a foreign variety. By John Yoon and Hisako Ueno John Yoon reported from a ...

TOKYO — Rice is a staple in Japanese culture and cuisine, so much so that the word for “meal” is synonymous with “cooked rice.” But demand for the grain is rapidly outstripping supply, causing prices ...