Wedoany.com Report-May 30, Japan’s Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced the sale of rice from state reserves, dubbed “old-old” rice from the 2021 harvest, to address soaring rice prices. Launched online by Iris Ohyama, the 5-kilogram bags, priced at 2,000 yen ($13.7), sold out in about an hour. On Rakuten, the same rice was offered for 1,800 yen ($12.3) but was also quickly unavailable, with remaining stock sold at 2,800 yen, still significantly below the market price of 5,000 yen per 5 kilograms.

The initiative, started in March 2025, marked the first non-emergency sale of state reserve rice, aimed at stabilizing prices after a doubling from the previous year. A total of 310,000 tons from the 2023 and 2024 harvests were sold, but prices continued to rise. Koizumi, appointed recently, opted for fixed-price discretionary contracts for the 2021 rice, contrasting with earlier tender-based sales. He stated: “Sales of the ‘old-old’ 2021 rice from the state reserves will reduce the price from the current 5,000 yen per 5 kilograms to 2,000 or even 1,800 yen.”

Iris Ohyama limited purchases to one bag per person monthly, and their website briefly crashed due to high demand. Rakuten users on social media reported similar rapid sell-outs. The next sales were scheduled for the following day. Koizumi’s strategy seeks to ease the burden on consumers amid a significant increase in the cost of rice, a staple in Japanese diets, without affecting trade or consumption patterns.

The rising rice prices have posed challenges for the government led by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. The issue contributed to the resignation of former Agriculture Minister Taku Eto, whose comments about receiving free rice sparked public backlash. Koizumi’s approach focuses on affordability, leveraging older reserves to provide immediate relief while maintaining domestic food security.

The sales reflect efforts to support Japanese households facing economic pressures, ensuring access to affordable rice. The initiative underscores the government’s commitment to addressing food price concerns, with Koizumi’s leadership aiming to restore stability in the market.

Japan’s Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi launched sales of 2021 “old-old” rice from state reserves via Iris Ohyama, selling 5-kg bags for 2,000 yen, which sold out in an hour. Rakuten offered it for 1,800 yen, also selling out quickly. Koizumi said: “Sales of the ‘old-old’ 2021 rice from the state reserves will reduce the price from the current 5,000 yen per 5 kilograms to 2,000 or even 1,800 yen.” Started in March 2025 to curb doubling rice prices, 310,000 tons from 2023-2024 harvests were sold. Iris Ohyama limited purchases to one bag monthly. The initiative addresses consumer costs under Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, supporting domestic food security.