Officials sound alarm over 'unforeseeable' shortage in major food staple: 'We are puzzled'

Japan is facing a shortage of one of its most essential foods: rice. Months after panic buying cleared store shelves, prices are soaring and supplies are tight, leaving families in a tough spot.

What's happening?

Rice is a staple in Japanese cuisine and culture, but warnings about a potential "megaquake" had people rushing to stores to stock up last summer, as the Associated Press reported in May. The news service said this panic buying, on top of the government encouraging farmers to reduce their rice crops to keep prices high, led to a shortage. 

Rice prices doubled, with popular brands hitting nearly 5,000 yen ($35) per 5-kilogram bag, as of the AP reporting. Supplies from Japan Agricultural Cooperatives and major wholesalers fell to a record low of 1.53 million tons. 

Even after new harvests from this year hit store shelves, prices remained high — at 4,275 yen (almost $28) per 5 kilograms, the Japan Times reported in late September.

The crisis also triggered political fallout. Former Agriculture Minister Taku Eto resigned after saying he had "never had to buy rice" because supporters gave it to him, per the AP. Naturally, people found this comment out of touch, especially with so many struggling to afford basic groceries. 

Why is this rice shortage concerning?

For Japanese households, this is a blow to their grocery budgets. Some people are even considering taking rice off the menu because of the outrageous prices. Kawasaki resident Hiromi Akaba told the AP: "If this continues, we will stop eating rice. This could lead to a shift away from rice consumption."

Aside from panic buying and overly ambitious crop cuts, a rise in tourism and dining out put more strain on the supply, according to the AP. 

Extreme heat was also named as a factor in the shortages of last year's crop, as Reuters reported recently.

Elsewhere, with rising global temperatures and extreme weather events straining crops and pushing up costs worldwide, more families are struggling to put food on the table. For example, hotter summers and unpredictable weather have contributed to rice instability in Malaysia. 

What's being done about the shortages and high prices?

As of the AP reporting in May, Japan had said it would release rice reserves to ease the strain — however, only 10% of the rice stocks had made it to market. Officials came under fire for not making progress on the issue. "We don't know why we haven't been able to push prices lower," Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said. Newly appointed agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi was tasked with leading a review of Japan's rice policy. 

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In June, Reuters reported that the government released emergency stockpiles of rice to help address the issue. Yet high rice prices remained a problem in Japan well into November, leading the government to continue seeking solutions to stabilize the cost of this commodity.

At home, individuals can help protect their grocery budgets from price swings by following tips for shopping smarter at the grocery store. These include exploring apps that offer food at discounted prices while reducing food waste.

Meanwhile, experts say Japan needs long-term changes, including reconsidering acreage-cutback policies and improving transparency in supply chains. "Looking back, the current rice shortage was unforeseeable," said Masayuki Kanamori, an executive of the National Federation of Agricultural Co-operative Associations, in the AP report in May. "We are puzzled."

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