Japan's staple food is becoming increasingly unaffordable as the price of rice reaches a new record high. According to the latest statistics released by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries on Nov. 14, the average market price of a 5kg bag of rice has reached 4,316 yen (approximately HK$217), marking the second consecutive week of increases and setting a new historical high.
Industry analysis indicates that this round of price surges is mainly due to two factors: the launch of expensive new rice pushing up the overall price level, and a reduction in the supply of relatively low-priced government reserve rice. Currently, the price of a 5kg bag of new rice in supermarkets generally exceeds 5,000 yen (approximately HK$252).
The soaring price of rice has triggered widespread discussion on social media, with many netizens lamenting that "rice has become a luxury." Some say they have had to switch their staple food to noodles, while others joke that "Japanese people's staple food will become pasta next year," noting that supermarket pasta shelves are indeed expanding.
This wave of rice price increases began in the summer of 2024. Extreme weather leading to reduced rice production, coupled with last year's earthquake early warnings triggering public hoarding, created a "rice shortage" in the market. Although the previous government temporarily stabilized prices by releasing reserve rice, the current administration has changed its approach, opting to issue rice discount vouchers to specific groups instead. However, this policy has faced questions as the administrative and postage costs in some areas even exceed the face value of the vouchers.
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