Japan rice policy faces criticism amid falling prices and supply instability

Former lawmaker Ichiro Ozawa has criticized the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), blaming its agricultural policies for the current instability in rice prices. Following a period of high prices known as the ‘Reiwa Rice Riot,’ new rice prices are expected to drop significantly, with some retail prices in Tokyo falling below 3,000 yen for 5kg.

Ozawa warned that rising material costs combined with falling rice prices could force many farmers out of business. He emphasized that food security is a matter of national security and argued that the government's shifting policies are undermining the production base.

In a separate lecture in Akita, Meiji University Professor Takumi Sakuyama identified excessive crop switching as a primary cause of the recent rice shortages. Sakuyama, a former Ministry of Agriculture official, noted that government-led efforts to reduce edible rice production to prevent surpluses, combined with heat-related yield reductions in 2023, contributed to the supply instability. He called for a fundamental shift in Japan's agricultural policy.