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May 23, 2025
 

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MAFF

New farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks during a news conference on Wednesday in Tokyo.
JAPAN / FOCUS
May 22, 2025
‘Rice minister’ Koizumi faces urgent task to bring prices down quickly
Lawmakers have been questioning whether auctioning stockpiled rice is really effective in bringing down prices.
Agriculture minister Taku Eto (left), who resigned on Wednesday, and former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi
JAPAN / Politics
May 21, 2025
Shinjiro Koizumi takes farm ministry reins after predecessor's rice gaffe
Taku Eto resigned from the post after coming under fire for bragging about how much rice his supporters give him.
Questionable websites appear to be taking advantage of consumers looking for cheaper rice online amid the high prices of the staple grain in the nation.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 21, 2025
Beware of dubious websites offering cheap rice, consumer watchdog warns
The Consumer Affairs Agency urges consumers to verify the legitimacy of websites offering rice at unusually low prices before making any purchase.
Agriculture minister Taku Eto responds to questions from reporters on Monday at the Prime Minister's Office.
JAPAN / Politics
May 20, 2025
Ishiba won't sack farm minister over rice gaffe
The prime minister wants agriculture minister Taku Eto to focus on finding a solution for soaring rice prices.
Agriculture minister Taku Eto has come under fire for saying at the weekend that he receives so much rice from his supporters that he has enough to sell it.
JAPAN / Politics
May 19, 2025
Amid rice shortage, farm minister comes under fire for saying he gets plenty
Agriculture minister Taku Eto reportedly said at a fundraiser that he gets so much rice from supporters, he has enough to sell it.
The agriculture ministry on Friday announced a set of measures aimed at speeding up the distribution of government-released stockpiled rice to store shelves, including the creation of an auction quota for bidders ready to sell rice to retailers sooner.
JAPAN
May 16, 2025
Japan announces fresh measures to improve supply of rice
Among the measures is an auction quota for bidders ready to sell stockpiled rice to retailers within a month of purchase.
The agriculture ministry has decided to ease a key bidding rule for government-stockpiled rice which requires a buyback within a year, extending the window to five years in a bid to promote the circulation of such rice in the market.
JAPAN
May 16, 2025
Japan to ease 1-year buyback rule for stockpiled rice
By extending the limit to five years, the government hopes to secure more bidders and promote the circulation of stockpiled rice to lower prices.
Despite the government releasing rice from its emergency stockpile since March, prices have remained high.
JAPAN
May 13, 2025
Rice prices finally fall, but change is in baby steps
The average supermarket price of 5 kilograms of rice dropped for the first time since December, falling ¥19 to ¥4,214.
The government began releasing stockpiled rice in March, but this has failed to stem increases in rice prices.
JAPAN
May 8, 2025
Price of rice at Japanese retailers hits record for 17th consecutive week
The average price for 5 kilograms of rice rose to ¥4,233 from ¥4,220 the previous week — more than double the level seen a year earlier.
Although it has been more than a month since the government began releasing its stockpiled rice, retail prices have remained high due to sluggish distribution.
JAPAN
May 1, 2025
Only 1.4% of government-stockpiled rice is reaching retailers in Japan
Wholesalers have not been able to handle the sudden increase in distribution volume.
It has been over a month since the government began releasing its stockpiled rice, but retail prices have remained high.
JAPAN
Apr 30, 2025
Government-stockpiled rice sold ¥420 cheaper in third auction
Although it has been more than a month since the government began releasing its stockpiled rice, retail prices have remained high.
Government-stockpiled rice stacked in a warehouse in Feb. 18 in Saitama Prefecture
JAPAN
Apr 16, 2025
Japan to hold third auction of stockpiled rice next week
In total, 100,000 tons of reserved 2023 rice will be auctioned.
Farm minister Taku Eto (second from right) meets with rice wholesalers and retailers on Monday.
JAPAN
Apr 15, 2025
Rice wholesalers and retailers call for better stockpile distribution
The average price of rice sold at supermarkets across the country in the week through April 6 rose for the 14th straight week.
Stockpiled rice at a rice-polishing factory in Saitama Prefecture in March
JAPAN
Apr 9, 2025
Japan to release stockpiled rice monthly amid record high prices
The move comes after two previous releases appeared to have had little effect in stabilizing prices.
Increasing rice production for exports would help enhance supply flexibility as rice could be diverted for domestic consumption in case of a shortage.
BUSINESS
Mar 28, 2025
Japan advised to boost rice exports to 353,000 tons in 2030
Increasing rice production for exports would help expand supply flexibility as rice could be diverted for domestic consumption in case of a shortage.
Government's stockpiled rice at a warehouse in Saitama Prefecture in February
JAPAN
Mar 26, 2025
Japan begins taking bids in second auction of stockpiled rice
The focus is on whether the release of reserve rice will help curb soaring rice prices.
Bags of the government's rice stockpile are shipped out of a warehouse in Saitama Prefecture on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Mar 18, 2025
Portion of government rice stockpile to hit shelves as early as next week
In a bid to stop the surging price of rice, the government auctioned off a portion of its emergency stockpile.
Rice buyers have been racing to secure supplies since an extreme shortage last summer.
JAPAN
Mar 14, 2025
Japan sells 141,796 tons of reserve rice in auction
The weighted average of the auctioned rice prices came to ¥21,217 per 60 kilograms. The rice is expected to hit store shelves as early as late this month.
The government's stockpile of rice in Saitama Prefecture in February
JAPAN
Mar 10, 2025
For first time ever, government begins auction of rice stockpile
Rice from the stockpile is expected to hit shelves from around the end of the month.
Government stockpiled rice stored in a warehouse on Feb. 18 in Saitama Prefecture
JAPAN
Mar 3, 2025
Japanese government to auction stockpiled rice on March 10
It is the first time stockpiled rice will be released to ensure smooth distribution. This was previously limited to cases of seriously poor harvests and large-scale disasters.
Trump’s wake-up call for India’s foreign policy
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Feb. 13. Trump’s coercive use of trade threats against India during the Pakistan military crisis has undermined trust in the U.S.-India partnership and exposed Washington as an unreliable security ally.
Toyota considers making tiny trucks for U.S. market as demand booms
Toyota executives say the automaker is listening to U.S. dealer requests for a truck smaller than the brand’s best-selling Tacoma midsize and Tundra full-size pickups.
Onosato’s march to yokozuna could usher in golden age for sumo
Onosato (left) battles Gonoyama on Day 6 of the Summer Basho. With Onosato on the cusp of promotion to yokozuna, there could soon be two titans at the top of the sport fighting for titles.
Shinjiro Koizumi takes farm ministry reins after predecessor's rice gaffe
Agriculture minister Taku Eto (left), who resigned on Wednesday, and former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi
Railguns, missiles and lasers: Japan uses massive defense event to highlight shift
A mock-up of Japan's state-of-the-art railgun, which is currently undergoing testing, is displayed at the three-day DSEI Japan defense exhibition in the city of Chiba on Wednesday.
Nippon Ishin grapples with poor governance ahead of Upper House election
Nippon Ishin no Kai co-leader Seiji Maehara speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Friday.
Beware of dubious websites offering cheap rice, consumer watchdog warns
Questionable websites appear to be taking advantage of consumers looking for cheaper rice online amid the high prices of the staple grain in the nation.
Onosato’s march to yokozuna could usher in golden age for sumo
Onosato (left) battles Gonoyama on Day 6 of the Summer Basho. With Onosato on the cusp of promotion to yokozuna, there could soon be two titans at the top of the sport fighting for titles.
A window into the mind of Esperantist and political activist Teru Hasegawa
Teru Hasegawa, Esperanto name Verda Majo, wrote leftist political essays during WWII.
Nissan’s troubles might go all the way back to Ghosn 
A lot at a Nissan plant in Mexico. The company may have overextended itself during the Ghosn era.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

A sinkhole in Yashio, which emerged in January, was triggered by a ruptured, aging sewer pipe. Authorities worry that similar sections of infrastructure across the country are also at risk of corrosion.
That sinking feeling: Japan’s aging sewers are an infrastructure time bomb
By Alex K.T. Martin

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