Price of rice in Japan falls below ¥4k per 5kg

原始链接: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/06/24/japan/japan-rice-price-falls-below-4000/

Rice prices in Japan have fallen below ¥4,000 per 5 kilograms for the first time since early March, according to the agriculture ministry. The average price dropped to ¥3,920 in the week ending June 15, a significant decrease of ¥256 from the previous week. This marks the fourth consecutive week of decline and the biggest drop since March 2022. The price decrease is attributed to the government's release of stockpiled rice under discretionary contracts, aiming to bring prices down to the ¥3,000-¥4,000 range. Major and smaller retailers are now selling this rice at around ¥2,000 per 5 kilograms. While Prime Minister Ishiba's goal is being approached, Agriculture Minister Koizumi emphasized that continued efforts are necessary to maintain price stability despite the current positive trend. The average price remains considerably higher than the previous year's level.

A Hacker News thread discusses the rising price of rice in Japan, which has recently fallen slightly but remains significantly higher than a year ago. Commenters debate why Japanese people are reluctant to switch to cheaper imported Japonica rice from countries like Australia or the USA. Some argue that cultural attachment, local patriotism, and the perception of superior quality in Japanese-grown rice contribute to this preference. Others point to national security concerns, suggesting that relying on foreign rice could be risky. High tariffs on imported rice and the presence of a powerful agricultural lobby (JA) are also mentioned as factors artificially inflating domestic prices. The discussion extends to whether imported rice (like Calrose from California) is an acceptable substitute, with some finding it comparable and others noticing a significant difference in taste and texture. The conversation also touches on broader issues such as Japan's declining population, the impact of inflation on household budgets, and the cultural significance of rice in Japanese cuisine.

The average price of rice sold at about 1,000 supermarkets across Japan in the week through June 15 stood at ¥3,920 per 5 kilograms, slipping below ¥4,000 for the first time since the week that ended on March 2, the agriculture ministry said Monday.

The average price was down by ¥256 from the previous week, declining for the 4th straight week and marking the first drop exceeding ¥100 since March 2022, when the ministry started releasing weekly rice prices.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba had aimed to push down rice prices to the ¥3,000-¥4,000 range by as early as mid-June.

The significant drop likely reflected the distribution of government stockpiled rice released under discretionary contracts.

Despite the fall, the average rice price was still ¥1,772 higher than that of a year earlier.

Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters on Monday that the country has "taken a step forward on a new stage toward curbing abnormally high rice prices."

He added, however, "Just because the average rice price fell to the ¥3,900 range, it does not mean that we can relax our efforts."

At the end of last month, major retailers started selling stockpiled rice released under discretionary contracts with the government at around ¥2,000 per 5 kilograms.

The addition of smaller retailers, including smaller supermarkets, to the list of businesses selling the stockpiled rice further boosted the effectiveness of the government's measures to tackle soaring price prices.