The Japanese government held a rare auction this week to make up for a rice shortage that an official called “truly unthinkable.” By Kiuko Notoya and Yan Zhuang Kiuko Notoya reported from Tokyo, and ...

TOKYO — Rice is a staple in Japanese culture and cuisine, so much so that the word for “meal” is synonymous with “cooked rice.” But demand for the grain is rapidly outstripping supply, causing prices ...

Shinjiro Koizumi, agriculture minister of Japan, eats a rice ball during his visit to a rice farm in Sugito, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. Shinjiro Koizumi, agriculture ...

In response to soaring supermarket rice prices, the Japanese government released 210,000 tonnes of rice from its emergency reserves in February 2025, despite an abundance of rice production in the ...

For decades, Japan's tight protection of its rice market — a symbol of cultural pride, postwar resilience and self-sufficiency — blocked broader trade deals. Last month, rice was once again a sticking ...

TOKYO — Japan's agriculture minister resigned Wednesday because of political fallout over recent comments that he "never had to buy rice" because he got it from supporters as gifts. The resignation ...

Shinjiro Koizumi has scrambled to cut soaring rice prices ahead of a high-stakes election this weekend. Will it be enough to buoy support for the Liberal Democratic Party? By River Akira Davis and ...

Japan faced a rice shortage in the summer of 2024, exposing flaws in its food security policy. Despite declining consumption, small shocks caused market disruption. The government refused to release ...

(CNN) — President Donald Trump is threatening to impose higher tariffs on Japanese exports to the United States over what he claims is the country’s unwillingness to buy American-grown rice. “They won ...

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s agriculture minister was forced to resign Wednesday because of political fallout over his recent comments that he “never had to buy rice” because he got it from supporters as a ...