THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

Rice prices across Japan climbed for the 13th consecutive week, even as the first wave of the staple crop from the government’s emergency reserves hit store shelves.

The average retail price for a 5-kilogram bag of rice was 4,206 yen ($28.55), including tax, in around 1,000 supermarkets nationwide between March 24 and 30, the agriculture ministry announced on April 7.

That week, the rice released from government stockpiles began appearing in stores, but prices still increased by about 10 yen, or 0.2 percent, from the previous week.

This marks the 13th consecutive week of price hikes. The price is more than double what it had been during the same period last year.

The government has released 21 tons of rice from its massive emergency reserves, hoping that the influx of cheap rice in the market would push down the overall price of the staple food.

However, the amount appears too small to make a significant difference in the market, and many retailers predict that rice prices will not fall anytime soon.

“The amount of stockpiled rice available is limited, and its impact on overall rice prices is minimal,” said a spokesperson of a major supermarket chain.

The chain sells rice released from the government reserves, without labeling it as such, for around 3,500 yen per 5 kg, about 1,000 yen less than other rice varieties.

The government rice has already sold out in some outlets, while other varieties remain on the shelves at high prices.

The situation is similar at another supermarket chain, which started retailing the reserve rice a week ago.

The average price of rice remained just below 1,900 yen per 5 kg until the summer of 2023.

However, prices began to rise, fueled by hoarding in response to the Nankai Trough megaquake warning issued in the summer of 2024.

Even after rice from the new harvest began hitting shelves in autumn, prices remained high.

This prompted the agriculture ministry, which had previously been hesitant to release rice from the government’s emergency reserves, to reverse its position.

All 21 tons of rice that the government set aside for release were auctioned off to distributors in March.

Although agriculture minister Taku Eto said on April 8 that a larger portion of the auctioned rice would hit shelves in a few days, its impact on the market remains to be seen.

(This article was written by Hisashi Naito and Sho Ito.)

Published Date: April 8, 2025