To solve the problem of soaring rice prices, Japan’s turning to a classic retailer’s playbook: rebranding the old as "vintage.”
That’s what convenience store chain Lawson is dubbing onigiri rice balls made from the grain harvested in 2021 and released from Japan’s strategic reserves in an effort to bring down prices.
Like eggs in the U.S., the cost of the country’s staple, which has doubled over the past 12 months, has been dominating the headlines. And there’s far more at stake than the size of the grocery bill: Rice could determine the fate of the government itself.
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