Some people in Japan have started to boycott Chinese rice, and when they see supermarkets selling Chinese rice, they get extremely upset, vowing that they would rather starve than eat Chinese rice.

In the past year, rice prices in Japan have soared, affecting people's daily lives. The government had to release reserve rice into the market, but it still couldn't stop the price increase and supply shortage. Therefore, merchants have turned to importing from abroad, including China.

Logically speaking, under such a hostile political atmosphere, China is willing to provide rice, a strategic commodity, to Japan to help Japanese people eat well, which is already very generous. However, there are some people in Japanese society who not only don't express gratitude but also call for a boycott of Chinese rice. Are these people so full that they can't feel anything?

(Rice prices have surged in Japan)

First, let's talk about the significance of rice to the Japanese. Although rice was invented in China and then introduced to Japan, the psychological dependence on rice in Japanese culture is far greater than in China.

In Japanese culture, rice is a crop with a sacred connotation, and there is a saying that "seven gods reside in a single grain of rice." In ancient times, being able to eat rice was a symbol of the ruling class's status. Although Japanese society has now shifted more towards wheat-based foods, the annual per capita rice consumption has decreased to around 50 kilograms, but the spiritual status of rice in Japan has not diminished. Even Japanese astronauts going to space are specially prepared with several types of rice balls, including plain white rice balls without any ingredients.

Sanctifying a single crop is rare among other ethnic groups. This also provides psychological room for the rise in rice prices.

In 2024, due to extreme high temperatures, the main rice-producing areas in Hokkaido and Kyushu in Japan experienced reduced harvests, and the price increase seemed somewhat reasonable. However, in 2025, the climate improved slightly, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan predicted that the annual edible rice production could reach 7.152 million tons, an increase of more than 600,000 tons.

(The terrain conditions of Japanese farmland are poor, making it difficult to reduce rice costs)

With increased production, the government has released reserves and imported from abroad, so the rice prices should have come down, right? But the reality doesn't conform to the principles of a free market economy at all; the rice prices in Japan continue to rise.

By November 2025, the average price of 5 kg bags of rice sold in supermarkets in Japan reached 4,316 yen, an increase of 23% compared to the same period in 2024, double the price in 2023. Some well-known brands of rice are even more expensive, with famous Koshihikari rice reaching as high as 6,000 yen per 5 kg bag.

According to the above figures, the average price of Japanese rice is approximately 20 yuan per catty (about 500 grams). Although there are premium rices in Chinese supermarkets that can reach this price, the national average price of rice in China is basically around 3 yuan per catty.

Although Japan is a high-income, high-cost society, a six-fold increase in rice prices has made many Japanese people find it hard to afford. Even considering the market factors of other developed countries, the rice price in Japan is three to five times higher than the world average.

More seriously, even this expensive rice is not always available. In many supermarkets in Tokyo, the shelves are empty, reminiscent of the commodity shortages once used to mock socialist countries. Such a situation has occurred in Japan, a developed capitalist country.

(Rice in Japanese supermarkets reaches 3,480 yen for 5 kg)

Why are rice prices so high in Japan? The main culprit and those calling for a boycott of Chinese rice are the same group of people, namely the Japanese Agricultural Cooperative Association (JA).

In most countries, agricultural associations are loose industry organizations mainly used by farmers and related merchants to exchange information, form industry voices, and communicate with the government and parliament.

However, Japan's JA is different. It is a monopolistic organization between farmers and the market. Farmers do not make money, but pay high prices, and the difference ends up in the pockets of the JA. The JA is also one of the main forces opposing the import of foreign agricultural products into Japan.

But if merchants directly import rice from China, things change. Considering natural climatic conditions and agricultural production models, Chinese rice is definitely much better than Japanese rice.

According to Japan's own evaluation standards, Chinese Northeast rice can score 85 points, while Koshihikari rice only scores 82 points. If we consider factors such as the content of trace elements in the soil and the standards for pesticides and fertilizers in both countries, the quality of Chinese rice is far superior. After all, the best farmland in East Asia is in our hands.

The reason why the Japanese JA has spoken out to ask everyone to boycott Chinese rice is mainly to maintain their monopoly. They care more about grabbing the largest share of profits, regardless of whether the people can eat comfortably or not.

(Restaurants in Tokyo are already using American California rice)

In fact, the main source of Japan's imported rice is American rice. In 2025, the private sector's rice imports in Japan increased by 20 times, and the self-initiated import volume increased by 40 times compared to 2024, mainly from the United States. However, the Japanese JA cannot challenge the interests of American merchants.

Especially with Trump, a super agricultural salesman, they have no courage to stand up against American rice. So they can only vent their anger against Chinese rice, but the market doesn't buy it at all.

Consumers see how cheap Chinese rice is, so they naturally buy as much as they can. In many stores in Tokyo, Chinese rice has already been sold out.

Perhaps these protesters have a dark mentality. What they are really boycotting is not Chinese rice, but the fertile land where the wind carries the scent of rice flowers on both sides, which they can no longer access.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7577263742153425442/

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