1T’s cheap, filling the time, honored only for office workers to calm their hunger pain. Lunchtime breakfasts fast food restaurants in Central Tokyo here one: Gyudon – thinly sliced beef and onions in rice. The rich and function of oecish but it’s a fat of plump Japanese grains under this one of Japan’s best-loved comfort foods.
Rice culture in Japan On the back of the back of thousands of years. In edo period (1603-1868), a meal for most people signified a simple bowl of grain, with members of the Samurai class measured their means in rice balsum.
But Japanese staple is in distress, buff with a soaring prices, and fumbled political response, and a special competition of “inferior” unauthorized.
And “Reiwa Rice crisis “is about more than the pressure in the family economy. In just a few months, and a spardiked of the resignation of the household and a stapris, and the stains of families and stains of the families of a stapris millions of families that is in the minister.
“Rice was with the heart of all – the family in the village and ultimately … that’s why it is important, even now, “said Celatyuki Suzuki, Chair Japanese Association of rice taste appraisers.
Succeeded governments to protect farmers a tightly moderation of the supply, the course, all but the smallest quantity of rice sold in stores and restaurants is homegrown. Prosectism keeps prices high – an arrangement that suited farmers and consumers came to tolerate – but also affecting the store. Japan to import 60% of his foodBut the exception is always an exception, thus thought.
But the political and culture of the beloved grain is falling apart, including consumers and prices in prices and in prices and the prices and in the interests will always come to those in farmers – traditionally firmators of Ruling liberal popularity (LDP (LDP).
Stockpiles, has been depleted by record-breaking temperatures and feelings of 2023 crop, Shrank again last year, on the side of the demand of record numbers of tourists. Victuals were also hit by Alarm Buying in Watching of Typhoon and Earth Moving WarningsForcing some retailers to restrict sales.
This March, as prices spiralsised, government took the disorder step of releasing 300,000 tolnes de rice of Stockpiles. Measurement had an effect on yet. During the second half of May, average retail price of rice sold in supermarkets ¥ 4,285 (£ 22) to 5kg – up to double the year before.
As an angry consumer wondering that they become the promises of the flood cheaper rice – only modest quantities were apparent in supermarket massage – political in advance and distributors for gathering in anticipates more and distributors.
The gridlock opened the door to the potential solution few have been congressional just a few years ago, supplies imported rice and okay beyond 770,000 japonis Japan is already in Tariff-free under a 1993 “minimum trade deals.
Last Friday, a short grain Calrose Rice by California went to Sale Aeon, Japan’s largest retailer, the price to | ¥ 2,894 to 4kg – about 10% cheaper than its Japanese counterparts, even system tariffs. Farming service has approved Imports of South Korean Rice For the first time in the quarter of the world, while Vietnam plans to ship more than 20,000 tones this year – more than four times a year’s total. Taiwan exported more than six times as rice to Japan in the first five months of this year than at the same time in 2024, and producers in Thailand say they are to be harassing the exploit rare gap in Japan’s market.
The influx of the subvert debate about the relatives of the Japanese and imported rice, with an expert tasters drafted to offer their sentences. There are includes Suzuki, who declares “is not bad at all” particularly in cultivate, pilaf and risotto.
The growing appetite for imported rice has created a capital in LDP to trying to get farmers of the stomach while addressing a growing Consumer cry weeks before national elections that will be dominant in cost of living.
“We have never seen this much stock imported rice torches in supermarket massage,” an official of National Federation of agricultural cooperation associations to Asahi Shimbun. “We are about customers and turn a domestic rice and choose imported options in the future.”
The debate is still playing from social media: clip Posted this week from the kitchen, inspired anime Oishinbo, in which central behavior, the food journalist Shiro Yamaoka, lessons in the American Politics of superiority Japanese rice, has more than 200,000 views.
But not only imported rice as being subjected to taste test. In other tried to calm prices, new agriculture minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, has approved release hundreds of thousands of tonnes of cheaper stockpiled rice from 2020, 2022 and 2022.
Kozumi, who replaced predecessor last month after BUT I haven’t had to pay for rice thanks to the functions of the supporters, pressed, the grain is a mainstream directly to the seller to break the logistical gridlock.
The measure made a average price – and 5kg bags of 100% “Old” is not forced to produce that which is forced to produce that which is inferior to the inferior to produce what is forced It is forced to be forced to buy inferior, which is forced to be forced to buy that is forced to be forced to be forced to inferior, which is forced to lower, which is forced to lower that it is forced to lower produce that is forced to “animal feed“.
When the next harvest until the months away, denotes to continue to complete the gap, though the previous experiments with imported rice supporter poorly. After catastrophe crop in 1993, Japan imported rice from the US, China and Thailand, unless it run through consumers worried about their health and fitness to Japanese palaces.
“I think people become more open to a foreign rice for then,” Suzuki said. “It’s much better than it’s in the 1990s.”
Kunihiko osafune-fuel experts who runs Okawari (Another help) Japan website, says Californian grain was ideal to the dishes with robust flavors to gyudon and curry while Onigiri The sushi has helped a more delicate taste of Japanese rice.
“In the past, a good rice crop was a symbol of higher abundance, so I understand that it is such a great issue more than price,” said OSAFUNE, who traveled in search of things match well in the rice. “If you don’t have enough rice that appeared to be a bad sign in the region all” added, what is notand that Japan’s empire traditionally plant harvest Symbolic rice crop in the reasons of the government palace.
However, though prices drop at levels low enough to coccate consumers, Japan’s relationship with rice will be adapt to the spoil Changes to the diet The aging, shrinking agricultural district opening the door is more widely.
“It is quite possible,” warned OSAFUNE, “as in the next future will not be no longer able to eat Japanese rice.”