By Alimat Aliyeva
The price of rice in Japan in April this year increased by 98.4%
compared to the same period last year, Azernews
reports.
This growth has set a record for the entire period of such
statistics since 1971.
The price of rice in Japan has consistently risen over the past
year due to poor harvests caused by a series of natural disasters
and extreme heat. Another contributing factor, according to local
observers, is an increase in the number of tourists, which has
driven up demand.
In early May, the price of rice in Japan began to decline for
the first time in four and a half months, but its current value
remains twice as high as it was a year ago.
The surge in rice prices has already cost the Minister of
Agriculture, Taku Eto, his position. Eto unsuccessfully joked that
he had never bought rice himself because his friends gave him large
quantities of it.
The young politician Shinjiro Koizumi, son of former Prime
Minister Junichiro Koizumi, became the new head of the ministry. He
vowed to do everything possible to bring prices down, calling his
new role “responsible for rice.”
Interestingly, Japan is one of the few countries where rice
consumption has remained a cultural cornerstone despite modern
dietary shifts. This makes the price surge not only an economic
issue but also a significant cultural challenge, as rice is deeply
embedded in traditional cuisine and daily life.