05/06/2026
The price of rice has fallen below 3,000 yen. The standard is 5 kg, but for those who know it used to be 5,000 yen, it must seem really cheap now.
New rice will come out in August, and lately, people have been moving away from rice, so the suppliers are considering their options. They say inventory is also increasing.
If the price of rice fluctuates wildly, it can no longer be considered a staple food. Suppliers also need to make a profit to survive. The government probably needs to protect both its citizens and the suppliers.
As for me, if I buy 5 kg, it lasts for several months. Maybe I am also part of the trend of moving away from rice. Rice has always been an important lifeline. A daimyo of 50,000 koku would take it from farmers to prepare for war. Soldiers cannot gain strength without rice.
Through a method called double cropping, rice can be harvested twice a year. Plant seedlings in April and harvest in August. Leave the stalks as they are. Then, shoots will grow from the stalks and fallen grains, and about 70% of the harvest can be expected in autumn.
What about triple cropping in a hot country with abundant water? Of course, the third crop would be grown from seedlings. I would like to try it.
Even if one is poor and life is hard, I want to eat rice. I am poor too, but I happily eat rice.
