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The story
Agriculture Minister Suzuki, who had previously said he wouldn’t intervene in rice prices, has reversed course and announced he wants to buy back government reserve rice before this year’s rice harvest begins. Even with experts pointing to a rice glut, the move reveals his real intention: he doesn’t want rice prices to fall. On 5ch, the discussion ranged widely — some suspect he’s prioritizing protecting farmers back home in Yamagata, others raised the vested-interest ties with JA (the national agricultural cooperative), and still others compared the price of imported rice.
Farm Minister Suzuki, who was supposed to “not intervene in rice prices,” declares he “wants to buy back reserve rice before the harvest starts”… his real intention despite a rare rice glut: he “absolutely does not want rice prices to fall”
8/28 (Fri) 6:02 AM JST
Daily Shincho
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Read the original article here
What people said
Takaichi: "He's finally getting it done." (Kansai-dialect praise)
Takaichi's LDP: "Like hell we're letting rice prices drop!! Screw the public!! Screw the restaurants!! You only bring up 'the market decides prices' when prices are going UP, don't you?!"
Sanae Takaichi, hold a press conference already!!
Sanae Takaichi, hold a press conference already!!
"It's the farmers' fault
Why is rice cheaper overseas than in Japan?
Isn't it just that Japanese farmers are incompetent?
With the weak yen, labor costs are cheap here too, so Japan should be able to produce it cheaper than other countries, right?
Isn't it strange to demand profits when your production capacity is this low?
If you want more money, shouldn't you just work harder?
Aren't the farmers the ones most at fault here?
Japan should drop the rice tariff to zero and make them compete on price with foreign rice.
Why is rice cheaper overseas than in Japan?
Isn't it just that Japanese farmers are incompetent?
With the weak yen, labor costs are cheap here too, so Japan should be able to produce it cheaper than other countries, right?
Isn't it strange to demand profits when your production capacity is this low?
If you want more money, shouldn't you just work harder?
Aren't the farmers the ones most at fault here?
Japan should drop the rice tariff to zero and make them compete on price with foreign rice.
"Re: #4
Isn't the real problem that vested-interest groups like JA — not the farmers — were the ones hiding rice in warehouses?
They were probably betting on another bad harvest in 2025 too.
By the way, rice is cheap overseas because the paddies are large and easy to mechanize.
In Japan, lots of farmers each own tiny paddies, which makes mechanization hard.
They don't reduce the number of farmers because keeping them around helps the ruling party at election time.
Isn't the real problem that vested-interest groups like JA — not the farmers — were the ones hiding rice in warehouses?
They were probably betting on another bad harvest in 2025 too.
By the way, rice is cheap overseas because the paddies are large and easy to mechanize.
In Japan, lots of farmers each own tiny paddies, which makes mechanization hard.
They don't reduce the number of farmers because keeping them around helps the ruling party at election time.
Re: #4
If you weaken the yen further, fertilizer, feed, electricity, and machine fuel costs all go up across the board, you know?
And on top of that, you people keep demanding the minimum wage be raised to 1,500 or 2,000 yen.
Even imports, which start out cheap, get pricier with a weak yen — so domestic goods go up too.
If you weaken the yen further, fertilizer, feed, electricity, and machine fuel costs all go up across the board, you know?
And on top of that, you people keep demanding the minimum wage be raised to 1,500 or 2,000 yen.
Even imports, which start out cheap, get pricier with a weak yen — so domestic goods go up too.
Which way does this guy even want to steer policy?
Re: #6
That'd be vested interests, obviously.
That'd be vested interests, obviously.
I wonder if he's getting money from JA?
Re: #18
Well, obviously.
Well, obviously.
Re: #18
Votes too, probably.
That's why the number of farmers-in-name-only never shrinks (people who barely farm but keep the title for subsidies and votes).
Votes too, probably.
That's why the number of farmers-in-name-only never shrinks (people who barely farm but keep the title for subsidies and votes).
Suzuki's willing to make the public suffer rather than let the farm co-op take a loss —
an utterly incompetent Farm Minister.
He can't even follow the one instruction Takaichi gave him. Useless.
an utterly incompetent Farm Minister.
He can't even follow the one instruction Takaichi gave him. Useless.
Re: #19
You should be directing that at Yamagata Prefecture (his home turf).
You should be directing that at Yamagata Prefecture (his home turf).
There's talk of a cabinet reshuffle — they'll replace him for this, right? Right?
Re: #22
This will show how serious Takaichi really is.
If Suzuki stays on as Farm Minister, it's all just for show.
If he gets replaced, she means business.
This will show how serious Takaichi really is.
If Suzuki stays on as Farm Minister, it's all just for show.
If he gets replaced, she means business.
Well, but this is seriously dim-witted.
The 'result' is already in: the public is saying, 'If our income isn't rising but rice prices are, we'll just eat something other than rice.'
They must be out of their minds to think they can keep prices high and still sell all of it.
The 'result' is already in: the public is saying, 'If our income isn't rising but rice prices are, we'll just eat something other than rice.'
They must be out of their minds to think they can keep prices high and still sell all of it.
Re: #35
I think if you raise the price of everything except rice, rice's relative price stays in check.
I think if you raise the price of everything except rice, rice's relative price stays in check.
Re: #35
Then let's raise the government's resale price on imported wheat too, and kill off udon while we're at it.
Then let's raise the government's resale price on imported wheat too, and kill off udon while we're at it.
Just let them do whatever they want.
The public's already weaned itself off rice anyway.
The public's already weaned itself off rice anyway.
>>If they buy the missing 700,000 tons out of the surplus 2.43 million tons sitting in private stockpiles, that brings it down to 1.73 million tons — which is even below the proper reserve level.
So as not to waste tax money:
I'll allow it if they buy back the reserve rice at under 1,000 yen per kilogram.
Anything above that,
make Suzuki's salary and the Agriculture Ministry bureaucrats
split the bill for the wasted tax money.
So as not to waste tax money:
I'll allow it if they buy back the reserve rice at under 1,000 yen per kilogram.
Anything above that,
make Suzuki's salary and the Agriculture Ministry bureaucrats
split the bill for the wasted tax money.
Re: #48
1,000 yen per kilo works out to 5,000 yen for 5 kilos — that's buying back reserve rice at a higher price than even last year's peak.
1,000 yen per kilo works out to 5,000 yen for 5 kilos — that's buying back reserve rice at a higher price than even last year's peak.
Whoever hoarded it wins, huh.
They bought it up to drive prices higher, made a killing, then resold reserve rice — which cost them next to nothing — at inflated prices for another killing. And now this on top of it? Come on.
They bought it up to drive prices higher, made a killing, then resold reserve rice — which cost them next to nothing — at inflated prices for another killing. And now this on top of it? Come on.
Re: #50
Well, economic freedom is a protected right, after all.
Well, economic freedom is a protected right, after all.
It's rare these days to see someone flaunt being a special-interest politician this openly.
Re: #52
Agriculture-bloc politicians actually win votes
by openly showing off that they're steering benefits their constituents' way —
that's the whole pitch to their base.
Agriculture-bloc politicians actually win votes
by openly showing off that they're steering benefits their constituents' way —
that's the whole pitch to their base.
"For every policy from above, there's a workaround from below."
If rice prices rise,
people will either eat something other than rice or turn to imported rice.
(And sure enough, imports did increase.)
Foreign rice spreads to dining tables and restaurants — imports up 50-fold since the rice crisis, casting a shadow over food security
Fragmented farmland stands in the way (part 2)
August 21, 2026, 5:00 AM [Subscriber-only article]
https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUA217U70R20C26A7000000/
If rice prices rise,
people will either eat something other than rice or turn to imported rice.
(And sure enough, imports did increase.)
Foreign rice spreads to dining tables and restaurants — imports up 50-fold since the rice crisis, casting a shadow over food security
Fragmented farmland stands in the way (part 2)
August 21, 2026, 5:00 AM [Subscriber-only article]
https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUA217U70R20C26A7000000/
Re: #76
They say it's 'spreading to restaurants,' but almost no major dining chains actually disclose that they use imported rice.
Imported rice had its moment when it was cheap, but everyone's gone back to domestic rice now that prices have come back down.
With domestic rice already under 3,000 yen and barely pricier than Calrose, would people even still pick imported?
They say it's 'spreading to restaurants,' but almost no major dining chains actually disclose that they use imported rice.
Imported rice had its moment when it was cheap, but everyone's gone back to domestic rice now that prices have come back down.
With domestic rice already under 3,000 yen and barely pricier than Calrose, would people even still pick imported?
Re: #76
"Amid rising prices and shortages, in 2025 the major supermarket chain Aeon initially stocked California-grown 'Calrose' rice at 2,680 yen (before tax) for 4 kg."
4 kg at 2,680 yen = 5 kg at 3,350 yen
So old imported rice is pricier than new domestic rice?
"Amid rising prices and shortages, in 2025 the major supermarket chain Aeon initially stocked California-grown 'Calrose' rice at 2,680 yen (before tax) for 4 kg."
4 kg at 2,680 yen = 5 kg at 3,350 yen
So old imported rice is pricier than new domestic rice?
It's the wholesalers who'll suffer if last year's rice gets cheaper.
They're the ones who tried to make a killing at the public's expense, so it's their own fault — just leave them to it.
If the wholesalers are the ones refusing to buy the new crop except at rock-bottom prices, then just give the subsidies straight to the farmers.
Whatever happens, don't hand money to the wholesalers.
They're the ones who tried to make a killing at the public's expense, so it's their own fault — just leave them to it.
If the wholesalers are the ones refusing to buy the new crop except at rock-bottom prices, then just give the subsidies straight to the farmers.
Whatever happens, don't hand money to the wholesalers.
Re: #114
What's wrong with trying to turn a profit in a capitalist society??
What's wrong with trying to turn a profit in a capitalist society??
Re: #125
They should've kept it in moderation.
Get too greedy and cross the line, and you get punished for it.
They should've kept it in moderation.
Get too greedy and cross the line, and you get punished for it.
Re: #125
Price-gouging on a staple food is the kind of crime that'd land you in prison in other countries.
Price-gouging on a staple food is the kind of crime that'd land you in prison in other countries.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Express+) thread “Farm Minister Suzuki, who was supposed to ‘not intervene in rice prices,’ says he wants to buy back reserve rice before the harvest starts… ‘I absolutely do not want rice prices to fall’ despite the glut.”
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