Japan's rice stockpile has dropped to its lowest level in this century due to a prolonged heatwave in 2023 and rising domestic demand, causing concerns among residents about high prices.
The record-breaking heatwave and low rainfall in 2023 have stunted the growth of crops, including fruits, vegetables, and rice. This has led to reduced shipments and sharp price increases this year.
In Tokyo, Hidehisa Shinohara, a rice store owner, reported that he has never seen such low stockpiles.
"My store now has less than half the stock compared to normal years. Everything is less than half. Many varieties of rice that are typically available are not this year," said Shinohara.
As a result, the cost of rice has surged. The latest figures from the Agriculture Ministry indicate that rice prices have risen by 12 percent from the same period last year, placing additional strain on household finances.
Many consumers are visiting different stores in search of more affordable options.
"Rice is in shortage, and I see many people looking for cheaper alternatives in supermarkets around here," said a local resident.
"I usually buy four to five kilos of rice. When it was cheaper, five kilos cost about 1,400 yen (about 9.51 U.S. dollars), but now four kilos cost over 2,000 yen (about 13.6 U.S. dollars). It's a significant burden," said another resident.
While a new harvest is expected to go on market from late August, businesses say prices are likely to remain high.
The Ministry of Agriculture attributes the shortage to increased demand from the food service industry, which is still recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, there is heightened demand from record numbers of inbound tourists who are eager to enjoy Japanese food.
"I think prices will stay elevated due to increased production costs. Farmers have indicated that they cannot make ends meet with last year's price range. We expect more shortages over the next couple of years and need to maintain higher costs to ensure stable shipments," said Hidehisa.
Japanese consumers worry that if the situation persists, it may become difficult for households to enjoy affordable, high-quality rice.
Japan's rice stockpile falls to lowest level in this century
Japan's rice stockpile falls to lowest level in this century
Jurg Burri, Swiss ambassador to China, emphasized the importance of maintaining robust diplomatic relations between China and Switzerland, while expressing strong support for enhancing free trade, especially with China, within the context of global cooperation efforts.
During an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), the ambassador stressed the importance of maintaining a positive momentum in diplomatic relations across diverse domains between China and Switzerland as 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relationship.
"We are of course very happy that China, again, is represented on a high level at the World Economic Forum. And we are happy that the visit will also contain a bilateral element. So, that is all very good news. And altogether, I think that the 75th year of diplomatic relations should further continue what we have started a while ago. And that is very good relations in the field of business, but also many dialogues on many topics as foreign affairs, human rights, environment, energy, health, and so on. And I think we have a good momentum and we should keep it," Burri said.
The 2025 World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting commenced on Monday in Davos, Switzerland, calling for global cooperation amid global uncertainty.
Themed "Collaboration for the Intelligent Age," the five-day event will bring together nearly 3,000 participants from various regions and industries to discuss issues across five pivotal areas: Reimagining Growth, Industries in the Intelligent Age, Investing in People, Safeguarding the Planet, and Rebuilding Trust.
Burri highlighted Switzerland's crucial role in driving innovation and fostering global cooperation through its internationally oriented companies that create products with the aim of benefiting the world.
"The World Economic Forum has an index or an indicator, which is the most innovative country, Switzerland has always been on the top of that. When you create innovation in Switzerland, when you do business in Switzerland, you rarely do it for the country, because the country is not big enough. You do it for the region or you do it for the world. And so, connecting is the name of the game. Swiss companies are mostly internationally oriented companies, and they produce something which is good for the world. And therefore, it is asked for in the whole world," he said.
In addition, Burri stated that Switzerland strongly advocates free trade and values its agreements, including those with China.
"Switzerland is a small country, we're not a global power, but we do advocate free trade because it serves countries and mostly countries with an open economy, the most. And therefore, you can say that Switzerland is a strong supporter of free trade. And of course, when we have a free trade agreement with China, like we have with other key partners, that is meaningful to us. And we cherish it, and we also want to make it develop and protect it," he said.
Swiss ambassador stresses robust China-Switzerland ties, backs enhanced global trade cooperation