The average price of Japanese rice has hit a new high.

Statistics released by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries of Japan on November 14th show that, for the week ending on November 9th, the average price of a 5 kg bag of rice was 4,316 Japanese yen, approximately equivalent to 198 Chinese yuan. This marks the second consecutive week of increase, surpassing the record of 4,285 Japanese yen set in May of this year during the previous price hike. Japanese media reports indicate that the new round of rice price increase is due to the high prices of new rice entering the market, raising overall prices, as well as a reduction in government reserve rice supply with relatively lower prices. Currently, in Japanese supermarkets, the price of a 5 kg bag of new rice generally exceeds 5,000 Japanese yen, approximately equivalent to 230 Chinese yuan. Beginning in the summer of 2024, the price of Japanese rice has been rising due to factors such as extreme heat leading to poor rice harvests.