Tide news client, reporter, morning butcher
You may not imagine that these days, in japan as a developed and trading country, people are becoming less and less able to eat rice。
Figure : news in public view
According to press reports, the price of rice in japan has continued to rise for more than 10 weeks, and even once there has been a “mi waste”. According to statistics from the ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries of japan, the average price of 5 kg of rice in a bag as of 11 may was 4268 yen (approximately 212 yuan yuan), twice as high as in the same period last year, the highest ever recorded. Many japanese who are used to rice must not reduce their rice to other staples such as noodles, bread and potatoes。
In recent days, high-ranking officials have “salinized” people. Japan's minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, katoguchi, who is in charge of food issues, said in his speech on may 18, “i never buy rice, and my family's rice comes from supporters so much that it can be sold.” this has led to strong criticism by politicians and the public. On 21 january, eto had to submit his resignation to prime minister shih duk-moo。
Toto. Figure : news in public view
In a debate at the party's first meeting, on 21 january, shigeshi shih said that the price of rice had to be reduced to between yen 3,000 and yen 4,000 (approximately yen150-200)。
The price of rice in the traditional economic powerhouses of three or four of the world's GDP is soaring, and it is still pending. What are the underlying factors behind this phenomenon
The japanese put gps locator in the rice bag
The price of rice continues to be high, making ordinary people in japan miserable. A tokyo supermarket employee told oogway that she did not eat rice every day in the last month, but twice or three times a week。
The japanese netizens, called “living unrich”, are mothers of three children who say in social media: “some ordinary families are in crisis because of rice shortages and price increases that have been going on for almost a year. I would like to introduce you to five types of cash-saving foods used to replace rice, namely, oatmeal, flour, pasta, potatoes, bread.”
School meals in japan were also affected. It has recently been announced that rice supply for all local primary and secondary schools will be changed from three times a week to two times a week in lieu of rice with bread. The mayor of mt. Koshino indicated that if the price of rice continued to rise, the number of meals available for schoolchildren would have to be reduced to one per week。
Figure : news in public view
Rice became a popular gift during mothers ' day in japan. Many consumers indicate that rice is more practical than usual flowers and cakes and is a good option for mothers。
Recently, there have been numerous instances of “mith thieves” in japan. According to press reports from the japanese police, 12 cases of theft of rice occurred in april in the main rice-producing districts of tsc and chiba, with at least 2. 5 tons of rice being stolen. In the city of tsunxi, tsing county, thieves stole up to 420 kg of rice at once。
According to japanese media reports, a 50-year-old unemployed man was arrested for illegal invasion and theft for having sent a convoy of 5 kg of rice. The theft of the man was soon discovered, as the victim had hidden a gps locator in the rice bag in advance to prevent theft。
At the same time, more and more japanese are looking to korea, where they buy relatively cheap rice to bring home。
Japanese rice prices are likely to continue rising this autumn
In the face of a critical situation, the government of japan is also taking action to increase the supply of rice markets and curb rising rice prices. According to cmg international times, the government of japan had released a total of 210,000 tons of rice in two batches in march and a total of 100,000 tons of rice in a third batch on 23 april。
For the time being, however, the release of reserves has had little effect on the price of flat rice, an important reason for which is the obstruction of circulation。
According to cmg international times, on 27 april the ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries disclosed that only 10 per cent of the rice reserves arrived at the retail feeding chain one month after they had been released in march. “the reserve of rice is mainly concentrated in the eastern and north-eastern regions of japan, while mid-march to the end of the month is the peak period of logistics in a year, which may result in poor circulation of rice.”
Figure : news in public view
Wang hirotao, an associate professor at the japan research centre of the university of jordan, told hongtao that the storage logistics process in japan was too complex, resulting in a slow process. “many areas of japan have their own associations, which have frequently called for them in their own interests. While the ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries requires that reserves be decentralized as soon as possible, there is very little real circulation to the market.” wang guangtao believed that many of the japanese government's decisions seemed fair and equitable, but it would take a long time to implement them。
So, can japan calm the high rice prices? The current situation was not optimistic, but rather continued to rise。
New rice will be harvested throughout japan starting in august. According to press reports, japan's largest rice buyer and wholesaler group, the japan agricultural co-operative (nac), significantly increased the advance for rice purchases this fall. According to the japan broadcasting association (nhk), the acal advance was issued earlier than in the past, apparently in order to encourage farmers to harvest autumn rice and sell it to acro rather than to other buyers。
Nhk7 reported that the aaap advance payments were considered the rice market price benchmark and that for ordinary consumers the market would face higher retail prices this fall。
"no seed, no buying, no hoarding."
“the first objective reason for the increase in rice prices in this round is the overall shortfall in rice in japan.” according to wang guangtao, japan's record high temperature and drought in 2023 led to a reduction in rice production, followed by heavy rains and typhoons that further destroyed some of the rice fields and reduced rice production in some areas by over 30 per cent. Japan's demand for rice in 2024 was 7. 05 million tons, compared to a supply of 6. 61 million tons。
In addition to the direct cause of natural disasters, the deeper causes of the rice crisis stem from the rigid agricultural system in japan and the excessive monopoly of the japan agricultural association。
Figure : news in public view
According to cmg international times reports, there is a long-standing myth of rice “not to seed, not to buy or sell” in japan。
The ban on seeding refers to a controversial policy pursued by naadp to grant subsidies to farmers who do not grow rice by limiting rice cultivation to stabilize rice prices. This apparently unreasonable policy was not abolished until 2018。
Non-buying refers to japan imposing high tariffs on imported rice for the protection of domestic farmers and severely restricting rice imports。
By hoarding, the organization monopolizes the flow of rice, often limiting its supply to the retail end in order to maintain its price。
In wang guangtao's view, the united states media call rice “the most politicized crop in japan”, an assessment that is apt. Indeed, the whole of japan's agriculture is politicized, and the japanese agricultural interest group, represented by naaa, is one of the most deeply associated with hdz interests.” wang guangtao indicated that support from agriculture, rural areas and farmers was a fundamental component of the partido democratistas。
“after the war, the partido democrático democrático (sdl) was in japan for a long time. In order to satisfy the interests of agricultural interests, the hdz government allows and even encourages farmers to reduce rice cultivation and to maintain the price of rice in one zone, guaranteeing both the supply of rice and the high returns of the association.” according to wang guangtao, even in the absence of drought and floods, japan's daily rice prices are more expensive than those of china and major european and american countries。
Ishigami's cabinet faces a dilemma
So what will be the impact of this high rice price on the political direction of japan
Wang guangtao pointed out that shifu shih fu is now at a low level of support for the regime. According to opinion polls released by the commons on 18th, the support rate of the shigeko cabinet fell by 5. 2 percentage points from the previous month to 27. 4 per cent. Eighty-seven per cent of the respondents felt that the japanese government was not responding adequately to the high price of rice。
According to a report by the common society on 22 april, the government of japan is exploring an expansion of the import of united states-produced rice in connection with the united states-japan tariff negotiations. Within a tariff-free minimum of about 770,000 tons of rice per year, a coordinated quota to increase imports from the united states is expected to be directed in the direction of a programme of around 60,000 tons。
Parliamentary hall, japan. Figure : news in public view
“having high domestic rice prices in japan, the demand for cheap foreign rice has gradually increased. However, the presence of many japanese minons is an important basis of support for the parti pour la démocratie. Parliamentary elections will be held in tokyo in june, and a new senate of the national assembly will be held in japan in july. As the hdz has already lost more than half of its seats in the previous house of representatives elections, the japanese government, comprising the ruling coalition of the hdz, may not be in a position to compromise easily.” wang guangtao said。
The japanese people, who could not afford to eat rice, complained of it and turned it into criticism of the liberal democratic party. If a large number of voters did not support the hdz in the ballot, the impact, in wang guangtao’s view, would not be limited to the economic and social dimensions, but would have a significant impact on japan’s subsequent regime change, which deserves to be seen。
