Historical Change of Rice Policy

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced that the government of Japan would make a historical change in rice production policy. Although it has been restricting rice products to maintain price to be affordable for farmers, the government begins to increase total production with lessons of rice shortage continuing from last year. It marks a turning point of Japan’s post-war rice policy by ending reducing rice paddies.

Suffering from shortage of rice through the time of the World War II and its post-war reconstruction period, the government of Japan maintained highly protectionist policy on production of rice which is the staple food for the Japanese. It was 1970s when the government introduced the policy of reducing rice production to prevent decline of rice price caused by overproduction. With dietary change of the Japanese from rice to breads, consumer’s demand of rice eventually dropped down.

 

When unusual price hike of rice occurred in 2024, the government did not acknowledge a shortage of rice production, regarding the problem as a matter of rice trade. However, rice price has not yet returned to the level of early last year, and the government, facing apparent rice shortage, was unable to deny negative impact of its traditional policy for controlling rice production.

 

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries analyzes that the rice shortage was caused by increasing demand, including consumption of foreign travelers, and shortage of production had occurred. The ministry regretted lack of communication with trade market and delay of releasing reserved rice, which caused further rise of rice price. “We had a stereotype thinking that demand of rice would keep on reducing,” said the agricultural minister, Shinjiro Koizumi.

 

With traditional rice production restricting policy, a number of farmers left their rice fields. It is not easy for the government to let those farmers return to the job. The government plans to reuse abandoned rice paddies and encourage each farmer to expand their fields. It also explores further export of Japanese rice to foreign countries. It also promotes “smart agriculture” with cutting-edge technology or subsidies for farmers unable to widen their fields.

 

Prime Minister Shigru Ishiba, who experienced agricultural minister in Taro Aso administration, has been an advocate of changing traditional rice policy. He argued at unofficial joint plenary meeting in late July that his Liberal Democratic Party was responsible for rice production and farmers’ business. Tackling on rice production is another agenda for Ishiba to survive political crisis after the serious defeat in the Upper House election in July.

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