Rice shortages continue to plague supermarkets and retail outlets across Japan, with the government urging consumers to remain calm and patient. The scarcity of rice is attributed to last year’s scorching summer weather, which resulted in lower quality crops, as well as an influx of tourists from overseas. In response, some supermarkets have implemented restrictions on rice purchases, such as limiting it to one bag per family. However, these measures have not been sufficient to meet demand, as shelves are already empty in many stores.
For example, a supermarket in Osaka managed to procure 30 bags of rice weighing five kilograms each but sold out within just 30 minutes. Major retailers like Ito-Yokado Co. have also imposed purchase limits at their stores due to decreasing inventories. According to the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry, private sector rice stocks at the end of June were at their lowest level since 1999.
The shortage can be attributed partly to last year’s extreme heatwave during the crucial period when rice ears began emerging. The high temperatures caused the grains of rice to become cloudy or break apart, resulting in lower quality crops and reduced supply for market distribution.
Additionally, rising food prices and increased demand for dining out among foreign tourists have contributed further to the shortage of rice supplies. Furthermore, there has been excessive stockpiling of rice by households preparing for potential future disasters.
Although relief may be on the horizon with early harvests already available in some supermarkets and new harvests expected from prefectures like Chiba and Ibaraki in September—accounting for approximately 40% of annual shipments—it remains uncertain whether this will lead to a quick decrease in prices.
Agriculture Minister Tetsushi Sakamoto expressed optimism about gradually recovering supplies during a press conference after a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. He also revealed that he had requested major wholesalers collect and sell rice smoothly. However, a wholesaler from Kyushu warned that wholesale prices for this year’s harvest are more than 50% higher than last year’s prices.
As consumers eagerly await relief from the ongoing shortage crisis through increased supply availability later this year when new harvests enter the market; it remains unclear how quickly prices will stabilize or decrease significantly.