Some retailers are perplexed by continuing rice shortages in Japan despite the release of government stockpiles, while ...

Why are rice prices soaring in Japan? After covering the issue for nearly a year since last summer, I think I now know the ...

Japan's agriculture minister, Taku Eto, resigned on May 21 just six months into his term, following a public backlash to his ...

By Mari Yamaguchi / The Associated Press  RICE is essential to Japanese culture, tradition and politics. People take pride in the oval- shaped sticky Japonica grain, which is still a staple even ...

Japan's Agriculture Minister Taku Eto, center, arrives at the prime minister's office in Tokyo Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (Kyodo News via AP) Large bags of several varieties of rice are sold at a ...

The past three rounds of stockpiled rice auctions conducted under his predecessor, Taku Eto, failed to deliver rice to retailers speedily, Koizumi said. The auctions "didn't have the effect of ...

The Japanese government's announcement that it would sell 300,000 metric tons of rice directly to major retailers to curb ...

“We expect that we will have a favorable outcome that will benefit consumers,” agriculture minister Taku Eto said at a news conference on March 14, hoping that the high rice prices will start ...

Japan's new farm minister said Monday the country's embattled government would release reserve rice directly to large ...

This marks the 11th consecutive month of price increases in rice since May. Agriculture minister Taku Eto said on April 1 that he believed the amount of rice released from government stockpiles ...

Nearly 60 percent of Japanese believe soaring rice prices will fall with the appointment of a new farm minister, following ...

Accountability is one of the fundamental pillars of democratic governance. It ensures that public officials act in the best interests of citizens and that they are held responsible for their decisions ...