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July 12, 2026
 

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AGRICULTURE

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.
BUSINESS
Dec 6, 2025
Average price of rice in Japan hits new record high
The average retail price of the staple grain hit a new record high for the first time in three weeks, according to agriculture ministry data.
No part of the sheep goes to waste at Cuore in Hokkaido. Here, creamy lamb's brain is pan-fried with banana and draped with a sliver of 24-month-aged prosciutto.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Nov 28, 2025
At Cuore in Hokkaido, lamb offal plays more than a bit part
Chef Yuya Urushizaki takes a nose-to-tail approach when cooking, turning typically wasted cuts of sheep into gourmet delicacies.
About 48,000 chickens at a poultry farm in Miyazaki Prefecture will be culled, following the confirmation of a bird flu outbreak.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Nov 22, 2025
Japan confirms fifth bird flu outbreak of season
About 48,000 chickens at a poultry farm in Miyazaki Prefecture will be culled.
A Sudanese woman walks past graves of people killed during clashes in Omdurman, Sudan on March 20.
WORLD
Nov 21, 2025
Scramble for Sudan’s resources fuels brutal civil war
The conflict between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has escalated in recent weeks with the RSF’s capture of the major city of El-Fasher in Darfur.
The latest forecast of 7,468,000 tons of rice reflected the status at around 98% completion of harvesting in Japan.
JAPAN
Nov 19, 2025
Japan’s rice harvest forecast to rise 10% in 2025
If the forecast of 7,468,000 tons as of Oct. 25 is realized, it will be the largest harvest in Japan since 2017.
Ernesto Katsunori Suzuki holds a cacao fruit at his farm in Tome-Acu in northern Brazil last month.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Nov 13, 2025
Japanese immigrants gain attention with farming method in the Amazon
Anticipation is rising that the agricultural method, involving nurturing a forest to grow crops there, can help the rainforest bounce back.
A farmer harvests rice in a field in Chikusei, Ibaraki Prefecture, on Oct. 9. Prices will most likely remain in the ¥4,000 range for 5 kilograms of the grain at least until the 2026 harvest is released next summer.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Nov 12, 2025
New Cabinet searches for effective rice policy amid resurging prices
Officials are considering the distribution of “rice tickets” to make the nation’s staple grain more affordable for certain households.
Agriculture minister Norikazu Suzuki speaks during a meeting held at the ministry on Oct. 22 after the season's first bird flu outbreak was reported in Hokkaido.
JAPAN
Nov 9, 2025
Fourth avian flu outbreak this season confirmed in Niigata
This is the fourth outbreak of avian influenza at a poultry farm in Japan this season and the second confirmed case in Niigata.
Modern farming and government support have dramatically increased crop productivity, especially in rice, helping the world avoid food shortages despite climate challenge and opposition to technology like GMOs.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 6, 2025
Rice can feed the world — even with fewer farmers
The world’s most important crop for food security recently reached its lowest price in 18 years.
A highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak has been confirmed at a poultry farm in the city of Tainai, Niigata Prefecture, authorities said Tuesday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Nov 4, 2025
Japan confirms third bird flu outbreak of season
A total of 630,000 egg-laying chickens at a poultry farm in Niigata will be culled.
Farmers spray herbicide at a rice farm in Joetsu, Niigata Prefecture, in June.
JAPAN
Nov 1, 2025
Japan 2026 staple rice production seen falling to 7.11 million tons
The country’s staple rice production is forecast to fall 370,000 tons from 2025, the agriculture ministry has said.
Agriculture minister Norikazu Suzuki speaks during an interview at his ministry on Thursday.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 24, 2025
New farm minister hints at rethink of rice output increase
Norikazu Suzuki said farmers are worried that prices might collapse next year if there is too much supply.
Japan reported its first bird flu outbreak of the season on Wednesday, raising concerns that egg prices could rise further.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Oct 23, 2025
Bird flu outbreak in Hokkaido raises concerns over rising egg prices
About 459,000 laying hens at poultry farm in Hokkaido will be culled to prevent further infections.
Hokkaido Gov. Naomichi Suzuki attends a meeting to tackle bird flu held in Sapporo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Oct 22, 2025
Bird flu season begins in Japan with infection confirmed at Hokkaido farm
The Hokkaido government has started to cull some 459,000 laying hens at the farm and imposed a ban on the transportation of hens within a 10-kilometer radius.
The average price of rice was down for the fourth straight week, but it remained above ¥4,000 for the sixth week in a row.
JAPAN
Oct 18, 2025
Average price of rice in Japan falls for fourth straight week
The price dropped ¥63 from the previous week to ¥4,142 per 5 kilograms, but remained above the ¥4,000 mark for the sixth week in a row.
Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi (front, second from left) inspects the growth of rice crops, on Aug. 28 in the city of Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture.
JAPAN
Oct 17, 2025
Race to secure 2025 rice crop heats up, lifting prices
Competition to secure new-crop rice is intensifying, pushing up the provisional payments that agricultural cooperatives advance to growers.
Farmers spray herbicide at a rice farm in Joetsu, Niigata Prefecture, in June.
JAPAN
Oct 11, 2025
Japan’s 2025 rice harvest seen rising to 7.48 million tons
The harvest amount is expected to exceed 7 million tons for the first time since 2022, the agriculture ministry added.
The average price of rice decreased for the third consecutive week, but remained above ¥4,000 for the fifth week in a row.
JAPAN
Oct 10, 2025
Average price of rice down in Japan for third straight week
The average price decreased for the third consecutive week, but remained above ¥4,000 for the fifth week in a row.
In the reporting year that ended in March, per-capita consumption of rice — which is 99% self-sufficient — and domestic production of sugar beets and sugarcane grew from the previous year.
JAPAN
Oct 10, 2025
Japan’s food self-sufficiency rate remains at 38%
The calorie-based food self-sufficiency rate stood at 38% for fiscal 2024, unchanged for the fourth year in a row, the agriculture ministry said Friday.
Ume plums with scratches caused by a hailstorm
JAPAN
Oct 8, 2025
New products created to save Wakayama ume from hail damage
Amid a poor crop, some companies have adopted a marketing tactic of highlighting hail-damaged ume>.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

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