According to data released by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on the 16th, the average price of rice in supermarkets across Japan reached 4,267 yen (approximately 188 yuan) per 5 kilograms, remaining high. The high rice price not only increases the burden on people's lives but also raises concerns about the future of Japan's food policy.
Rice is one of the most basic and important staple foods on Japanese family tables. However, the continued rise in rice prices is causing increasing anxiety among the Japanese public. Many have expressed dissatisfaction with the Japanese government's food policy.
A local resident said: "I think the price of rice is really too high now. Why can't they seriously consider a truly comprehensive policy? Is the Japanese government just reacting temporarily, taking it one step at a time? I really hope the Japanese government can seriously and systematically think things through."
Another local resident said: "The price of rice is high, and it has remained high to this extent. Judging from the current plans of the Japanese government, they probably won't increase production. I feel that things are developing in a very bad direction, which is really worrying."
CCTV reporter Liu Yaohong: In Japan, rice can be bought not only in supermarkets, but also in many traditional rice shops in residential and commercial areas. Compared to supermarkets, these traditional rice shops offer a wider variety of rice and more directly reflect the impact of rice price changes on people's purchasing power.
55-year-old Rio Koike runs a nearly century-old rice shop in Tokyo, currently selling about 80 varieties of rice, mainly from major rice-producing regions in Japan such as Niigata and Yamagata prefectures. Koike told reporters that compared to 2024, the overall price of rice in his shop has increased by 40% to 50%. The continuously rising prices have led to a decrease in customer traffic.
Rice shop owner Rio Koike: Customers generally say that rice prices in 2025 are "too expensive." In 2024, even with some increases, many customers said, "This level is acceptable." But for rice in 2025, the reaction is almost unanimously "too expensive." Indeed, some regular customers have stopped coming; the prices are really too high, which I completely understand. In 2025, the Japanese government released large quantities of reserve rice to stabilize prices and even proposed a shift to a "rice production increase" policy. However, with the change of government to the Takashi City Cabinet, the rice production reduction policy, implemented for over 50 years, was only suspended for four months before the policy direction returned to "production reduction." Regarding the government's repeated adjustments to production policy, Koike believes that these changes have exacerbated producers' anxiety.
Rice shop owner Rio Koike: I think producers are somewhat pitiful. The Japanese government's policies don't address the fundamental problem; rice production will only decrease. So even if production increases temporarily, in the long run, there will still be a rice shortage, and ultimately prices won't drop significantly; they will likely remain high.
