Sake Nation: “Japan’s Rice Crisis in the Reiwa Era: Challenges Facing Sake Rice Supply. Part 1”
2026-09-02
By Kosuke Kuji
In Japan, the "Reiwa Rice Crisis," which has become a major issue since two years ago, has caused the price of table rice to surge dramatically. Last year, the price of rice for everyday consumption doubled compared with the previous year.
This was caused by inaccurate demand forecasts by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), which temporarily resulted in a shortage of table rice in 2024. As rice disappeared from supermarket shelves, agricultural cooperatives and rice collection companies became increasingly concerned. In 2025, competition for rice procurement intensified among these organizations, causing prices to continue rising rapidly.
Rice harvested in autumn 2025 reached the highest price level in Japan’s history. As a result, the price of rice consumed by households also surged dramatically.
This situation made it increasingly difficult for Japanese consumers to purchase rice, leading many to switch from rice to alternatives such as bread, soba noodles, and udon noodles. As a result, overall rice consumption itself declined significantly.
In the midst of the crisis, the Japanese government released its emergency stockpiled rice reserves in 2024. However, long lines formed as people rushed to purchase the stockpiled rice. Although this reserve rice consisted of older rice harvested two to five years earlier, the situation revealed how many people had no choice but to prioritize price over taste in order to secure a supply of rice.
The "Reiwa Rice Crisis" has transformed the eating habits of Japanese people and significantly changed their perception of "rice" — a food that has been consumed by Japanese people since ancient times and remains a core element of Japan’s culinary identity.
The impact of the "Reiwa Rice Crisis" has extended beyond table rice, significantly affecting industries that rely on rice as a raw material, including sake production like ours, as well as processed products such as "okaki" rice crackers and rice crackers made from rice and rice flour.
The extent of these challenges and how deeply they affected these industries will be explored in detail in future columns.
This was caused by inaccurate demand forecasts by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), which temporarily resulted in a shortage of table rice in 2024. As rice disappeared from supermarket shelves, agricultural cooperatives and rice collection companies became increasingly concerned. In 2025, competition for rice procurement intensified among these organizations, causing prices to continue rising rapidly.
Rice harvested in autumn 2025 reached the highest price level in Japan’s history. As a result, the price of rice consumed by households also surged dramatically.
This situation made it increasingly difficult for Japanese consumers to purchase rice, leading many to switch from rice to alternatives such as bread, soba noodles, and udon noodles. As a result, overall rice consumption itself declined significantly.
In the midst of the crisis, the Japanese government released its emergency stockpiled rice reserves in 2024. However, long lines formed as people rushed to purchase the stockpiled rice. Although this reserve rice consisted of older rice harvested two to five years earlier, the situation revealed how many people had no choice but to prioritize price over taste in order to secure a supply of rice.
The "Reiwa Rice Crisis" has transformed the eating habits of Japanese people and significantly changed their perception of "rice" — a food that has been consumed by Japanese people since ancient times and remains a core element of Japan’s culinary identity.
The impact of the "Reiwa Rice Crisis" has extended beyond table rice, significantly affecting industries that rely on rice as a raw material, including sake production like ours, as well as processed products such as "okaki" rice crackers and rice crackers made from rice and rice flour.
The extent of these challenges and how deeply they affected these industries will be explored in detail in future columns.
酒豪大陸「令和の米騒動から来る酒米の問題 その1」
日本は一昨年から騒動になっている令和の米騒動により、食米の値段が昨年は一昨年に比べて2倍に一気に値上がりしました。
これは、農水省の需要予測が狂っていて、一時的に2024年に食米が足りなくなり、スーパーなどの棚から消えてしまい、それを焦った農協や米の集荷業者が2025年になり、集荷競争が激化し、値段がどんどん吊り上がっていきました。
2025年秋に収穫された米には今までの歴史の中で最も高い値段がつき、それに伴い、私達が家庭で食べる米の価格も急上昇してしまいました。
これにより、日本人は米が買えなくなり、米ではなくパンや蕎麦、うどんなどに切り替えていき、米の消費そのものも大減少してしまいました。
途中、2024年には政府が緊急事態用に備蓄をしている備蓄米を放出しましたが、その備蓄米を買うために長蛇の列が出来るほどでした。備蓄米は2年から5年前の古米なのですが、味の前に価格でこれを買うしか出来ない人がどれだけ多かったかわかります。
そんな令和の米騒動は、日本人の食生活を一変し、日本人が古来、食べ続けてきた、日本人の、日本食のアイデンティティーでもある「米」に対する意識が大きく変わってしまいました。
この令和の米騒動は食べる米だけにとどまらず、私達のように米を原料とする日本酒造りや、米や米粉を原料とする「おかき」や「米煎餅」のような加工品にも大きな影響を与えました。
その影響がどんなに大変だったかなどは次回以降のコラムで詳しく書いていきます。
これは、農水省の需要予測が狂っていて、一時的に2024年に食米が足りなくなり、スーパーなどの棚から消えてしまい、それを焦った農協や米の集荷業者が2025年になり、集荷競争が激化し、値段がどんどん吊り上がっていきました。
2025年秋に収穫された米には今までの歴史の中で最も高い値段がつき、それに伴い、私達が家庭で食べる米の価格も急上昇してしまいました。
これにより、日本人は米が買えなくなり、米ではなくパンや蕎麦、うどんなどに切り替えていき、米の消費そのものも大減少してしまいました。
途中、2024年には政府が緊急事態用に備蓄をしている備蓄米を放出しましたが、その備蓄米を買うために長蛇の列が出来るほどでした。備蓄米は2年から5年前の古米なのですが、味の前に価格でこれを買うしか出来ない人がどれだけ多かったかわかります。
そんな令和の米騒動は、日本人の食生活を一変し、日本人が古来、食べ続けてきた、日本人の、日本食のアイデンティティーでもある「米」に対する意識が大きく変わってしまいました。
この令和の米騒動は食べる米だけにとどまらず、私達のように米を原料とする日本酒造りや、米や米粉を原料とする「おかき」や「米煎餅」のような加工品にも大きな影響を与えました。
その影響がどんなに大変だったかなどは次回以降のコラムで詳しく書いていきます。
