"The Worst-Case Scenario Begins"... Japanese Tourists Flock to Korea for Rice as Japan's Food System Collapses [Sunday Culture]

A Variety Developed to Overcome Food Shortages: Koshihikari Cultivated Across Japan
Japan's Dedication to Rice: Annual Rankings Announced
System Collapse Cited as Main Cause of Rice Shortage Crisis

Recently, it has been reported that rice is now on the shopping lists of Japanese tourists visiting South Korea. Rice prices in Japan have been rising for 14 consecutive weeks, and despite the government's release of stockpiled rice, there are no signs of prices stabilizing. In particular, the rice that Japanese tourists are buying is Koshihikari, a familiar variety that is also widely cultivated in Korea. So, what exactly is Koshihikari? Today, we will delve into the story of Koshihikari and other Japanese rice varieties.

Rice sales stand at a Japanese supermarket. It can be seen that most of the rice is sold out. Photo by NHK.

Koshihikari: Born to Address Food Shortages

Koshihikari is cultivated in 45 prefectures across Japan, excluding only Hokkaido and Aomori. In terms of both cultivation area and production volume, it is the most prevalent rice variety in Japan. In fact, it is said that about one-third of all rice paddies in Japan are dedicated to growing Koshihikari.

To understand the origins of Koshihikari, we need to go back to the period before Japan started World War II. At that time, the Hokuriku region, including Niigata Prefecture?now famous for its rice?had more than 60% of its paddy fields classified as wetlands with poor drainage. This made rice farming difficult and unfavorable. In response, a new variety called Norin No. 1 was developed: it grew quickly and had high yields, making it suitable for wetland areas. Farmers began planting it widely. However, it was later discovered that Norin No. 1 was susceptible to rice blast disease and prone to lodging, which led to a decline in its popularity and cultivation.

After World War II and during the postwar recovery, Japan once again focused on rice production to address food shortages. Developing a fast-growing, high-yield variety became crucial. In Niigata Prefecture, efforts were made to improve Norin No. 1, and a decision was made to cross it with Norin No. 22, which was highly resistant to pests and diseases at the time.

This breeding work was carried out at the Fukui Prefectural Agricultural Experiment Station, and after a series of cultivation and breeding processes, the Koshihikari variety was born in 1956. Through further improvements, it became the Koshihikari we know today.

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This variety, developed in Niigata and successfully cultivated in Fukui, needed a name. The developers noted a commonality between the two regions: the area now known as Niigata was once the Echigo Province, and the northern part of Fukui was once the Echizen Province. Both provinces share the kanji character 越, pronounced "Echi" in Japanese, but read as "Koshi." Wanting the rice to shine as a product of these two "Koshi" provinces, they added the character for "light" (光), pronounced "Hikari," resulting in the name Koshihikari. As it became a recommended variety, it spread across Japan.

Japan's Dedication to Rice: Even Rice Rankings Are Announced

Starting with Koshihikari, Japan is deeply passionate about rice. In Korea, we often say, "Suhyangmi is delicious just from the aroma while cooking," and people recommend certain varieties. Restaurants often display which rice they use, and select varieties that pair well with side dishes. In Japan, the Japan Grain Inspection Association announces annual rice rankings. Each year, 100 professional evaluators conduct blind tastings of rice from across the country, assessing six criteria: taste, aroma, stickiness, firmness, appearance, and overall evaluation.

The rice is classified into five grades: Special A, A, A', B, and B'. Receiving a Special A grade means the rice is of top quality. These rankings are so authoritative that rice-producing regions experience both joy and disappointment depending on whether they move up or down the scale. Some markets and food service businesses even use these rankings as a wholesale standard, making it a true battle of pride. According to the 2024 rankings announced in February, only 39 varieties received Special A, the lowest number in 11 years.

Weather was cited as the main factor affecting rice quality. In particular, the Kyushu region experienced a marked decline in quality due to intense late-summer heat. For example, Kumamoto Prefecture's regional brand "Morino Kumasan" dropped from Special A to A this year because of the heat, despite having earned Special A last year. Kumamoto has been so dedicated to producing Special A rice that, since 2023, the local agricultural cooperative and government have directly guided farmers on fertilizer application timing and water management. However, they could not escape the effects of the late heat. In contrast, Hokkaido, Tohoku, and Hokuriku?where temperatures are relatively lower?had good harvests.

The Kansai region suffered quality declines due to severe heat from late August, resulting in chalky rice grains and other issues. As a result, heat-resistant varieties are now more likely to receive Special A ratings.

Even in Niigata, the home of Koshihikari, seven varieties were submitted, but only Uonuma's Koshihikari received a Special A rating. Heavy rainfall caused many rice plants to lodge, reducing their quality.

While the weather has been a factor, rice prices have continued to rise. According to the consumer price index for March released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on April 18, rice prices increased by 92.1% compared to the same month last year.

Are Tourists Really to Blame for the Rice Shortage?

So why has this rice commotion suddenly erupted? In Japan, the most commonly cited reasons are the influx of inbound tourists, poor harvests due to abnormal weather, and panic buying triggered by fears of major earthquakes. However, these explanations are unconvincing. After all, tourists visiting Japan for two or three nights are not consuming a ton of rice each. By this logic, if tourists in Korea bought up all the bibimbap and gimbap, Korea would also face a rice shortage.

Experts point out that the real cause is the unintended consequences of Japan's longstanding rice policies. Since 1971, Japan has implemented the "gentan" (acreage reduction) policy. When Koshihikari was developed, Japan was experiencing food shortages, but as the economy stabilized, rice began to be overproduced. Dietary habits also westernized, with bread and noodles replacing rice in many cases.

In response, the Japanese government introduced a policy of paying subsidies to farmers who reduced their rice production. The subsidy was up to 105,000 yen per 0.1 hectare per year. By reducing production in line with declining consumption, the government prevented a collapse in rice prices, and farmers had no complaints as they still received subsidies. In 2018, this policy was officially abolished amid concerns about Japan's agricultural competitiveness, but in reality, subsidies are still paid to farmers who switch from rice to wheat, soybeans, or feed rice, so it is essentially a nominal abolition.

At first glance, this policy might seem like an easy way for farmers to stop growing rice and simply collect subsidies, but in reality, many Japanese farmers suffered greatly during this period. If rice production exceeded expectations, farmers would try to sell the surplus as "free rice" through independent channels, but local governments and police cracked down on this, treating it as illegal distribution. As a result, many farmers could not recover their annual investments in rice farming, fell into debt, and some even took their own lives.

Due to these controls, Japan ultimately succeeded in reducing rice cultivation area and production by nearly half. The problem is that, in the process, the structure of rice production in Japan was severely undermined. Since there was no longer a need to produce large quantities of rice, there was little incentive to invest in equipment to increase yields, and many farmers switched to other crops, growing just enough rice for personal consumption to qualify for subsidies. With so many small-scale farmers unable to distribute their rice, the volume of rice reaching the market is low relative to the total cultivation area. Rural areas are also aging rapidly, leaving fewer successors to take over farming.

Rice stockpiled by the Japanese government. NHK.

With the collapse of the rice farming structure, even minor issues?such as poor harvests due to abnormal heat or a slight increase in rice consumption?can trigger a chain reaction that leads to system-wide failures like the current rice commotion. The Asahi Shimbun even reported concerns that "the worst-case scenario has begun in Japan."

This is not just an odd episode of "How can there be no rice?"?it is a clear example of how the collapse of a country's food security system can impact people's lives. For Korea, where rice is also a staple, this is not a distant issue. The recent rice commotion in Japan should prompt us to consider various countermeasures.