Japan is experiencing a rise in rice prices, with retail prices approaching their historical highs.

According to data released by the Japan Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the average price of a 5kg bag of rice in the Japanese market from September 8th to September 14th was 4275 yen. Currently, the price of rice in Japan has been rising for three consecutive weeks, approaching the record high of 4285 yen per bag set in May of this year. Since the summer of 2024, factors such as extreme high temperatures leading to poor rice harvests have been causing the continuous rise in the price of rice in Japan.