Japan imports South Korean rice for first time in 25 years amid soaring domestic prices
This marks a significant policy shift, driven by rising inflation and growing openness among Japanese consumers to foreign rice.
JAPAN – Japan has imported rice from South Korea for the first time in 25 years, as domestic rice prices more than doubled over the past year, reaching an average of US$30 for 5kg, sparking consumer discontent and a scramble for affordable alternatives.
The unprecedented move reflects a deepening supply crisis that has pushed the Japanese government to release over 210,000 tonnes of stockpiled rice, an emergency measure with limited effect due to logistical hurdles.
According to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK, two tonnes of South Korean rice arrived in Japan in March and were distributed online and through supermarkets.
An additional 20 tonnes are expected to follow soon. While the volume is modest, this marks a significant policy shift, driven by rising inflation and growing openness among Japanese consumers to foreign rice, a product long viewed with scepticism due to taste preferences and cultural expectations.
Rice imported from South Korea is subject to high tariffs in Japan, but it is still increasingly being viewed as a cost-effective alternative.
The surge in demand has opened new opportunities not only for South Korean producers, whose rice exports to Japan are now projected to hit a 35-year high, but also for U.S. growers.
Tokyo restaurant owner Arata Hirano, for instance, began using California-grown rice last year after prices for domestic rice skyrocketed due to shortages.
Although the price of U.S. rice has doubled since his initial purchase in summer 2024, Hirano says it’s still cheaper than Japanese-grown rice. His customers, like diner Miki Nihei, have embraced the change:
“I had no idea. I have no qualms about eating imported rice. Prices have gone up, so I’m always looking for cheaper options,” she said after learning the rice wasn’t local.
The crisis has been compounded by multiple factors. Japan experienced record-high temperatures in 2023, severely impacting crop yields. Panic buying, supply chain disruptions, and increased demand from a surge in tourism also depleted stockpiles.
The government’s decision in March to release reserve rice—usually tapped only after natural disasters—was intended to ease supply pressures. However, according to the agriculture ministry, only 426 tonnes, or 0.3% of the released volume, had reached retail outlets by the end of March.
Officials, however, blamed a shortage of delivery vehicles and the time required to prepare the rice for consumer sale, coupled with the failure to bring rice to market, fueling public frustration efficiently and forced policy reevaluation.
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