The average price of rice at supermarkets in Japan has fallen for a seventh straight week. Yet it remains higher than a year ago.

Officials say consumers were buying more lower-priced grain from government stockpiles than before.

The agriculture ministry on Monday released its weekly survey on about 1,000 supermarkets nationwide for the period through July 6th.

The average price of a 5-kilogram bag declined 1.9 percent from the previous week to 3,602 yen, or roughly 24 dollars.

But that’s still 54.8 percent higher than a year earlier when shortages and other factors pushed prices considerably higher.

The latest survey also notes that the gap between the price of single-brand varieties and that of blended rice and other types has been widening. That is because a portion of the blended packages is stockpiled grains.

Published Date: July 15, 2025