Average price of rice in Japan hits new record high

Japan’s average retail rice price hit a new record high for the first time in three weeks, according to agriculture ministry data.

In the week ended last Sunday, the average price of rice sold at about 1,000 supermarkets across Japan rose by ¥23 from the previous week to ¥4,335 per 5 kilograms, the highest since the survey began in March 2022, the data released by the ministry on Friday showed.

The price of “brand rice,” primarily newly harvested rice, climbed by ¥5 to ¥4,551. The price of relatively cheap “blended rice” jumped ¥92 to ¥3,870, apparently after rice produced in 2025 began to be used for blended rice in earnest.

Brand rice accounted for 68% of total rice sales in the reporting week.

A separate survey covering about 1,200 supermarkets showed that the average price of rice came to ¥3,835, up ¥180. Another survey of some 6,000 retail stores, including drugstores, logged an increase of ¥92 to ¥4,315, reflecting higher prices across various retailers.