Twentythree

Consumers showing little sympathy for rice sellers as eating habits and supply chains change.

Rice is supposed to be the foundation of the Japanese diet, but these days there’s a whole lot of it that’s just sitting in warehouses. According to newly released data from Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, at the end of March there were approximately 2.7 million metric tons of rice being held by wholesalers, nearly a 54-percent increase compared to the same time last year.

That’s the largest amount since 2015, and the third-highest since 2009. The even more startling statistic, though, is that the 2.7 million metric tons of harvested rice that’s just sitting around represents 39 to 40 percent of the expected domestic demand for rice for the year, the highest percentage ever since the ministry began tracking such statistics.

There are three reasons for this, the first of which is a larger rice harvest in the fall of 2025 than in the preceding year. The more significant factors, though, are on the demand side of the equation.

Over the last few years, the price of rice has skyrocketed in Japan. Even in the later years of the coronavirus pandemic, it wasn’t heard to find five-kilogram (11-pound) bags of domestically grown rice at supermarkets in Japan for around 2,000 yen (US$13). Since then, though, retail prices have steadily risen, going well past 4,000 yen, especially for the most popular types of Japanese rice. Traditional staple or not, rice doubling in price has forced many people to rethink their spending and eating habits, and the ministry says that household rice consumption has gone down.

But what about restaurants? They buy rice too, as do take-out joints, convenience stores, and other businesses that offer pre-made food in the forms of rice bowls, bento boxed lunches, onigiri (rice balls), and so on, right? Sure, but businesses are also balking at the price of rice, and while households are adapting by eating less of it, many shops and restaurants, with their access to worldwide business-to-business distribution networks, have switched over to using less expensive imported rice. In 2025, Japan businesses imported 96,834 metric tons of rice from the U.S., 95 times more than in 2024, and its total rice imports, from all nations combined, was 104 times higher than in 2024.

So with individual consumers unable to afford eating as much rice as they used to and businesses having access to cheaper alternatives, it’s no surprise that so much Japan-grown rice is going unsold. While rice prices have come down slightly in the past few months, they’re still much higher than they were before the spike started, and so news of the excess rice stocks that wholesalers are sitting on isn’t eliciting much sympathy among online commenters.

“Too little too late. There are already a lot of people who’ve switched their eating habits and moved away from eating a lot of rice.”
“They’re still charging too much for rice, so I’m not buying it.”
“I can get five kilograms of dry spaghetti noodles for 995 yen.”
“Still waiting for you to at least bring prices for a five-kilo bag back down to 2,800 yen.”
“It’s still easy to remember when you could get a 10-kilo bag of rice for 5,000 yen.”
“They raised prices while people’s earnings are stagnant. What did they think was gonna happen?”
“If they’re not going to lower prices, they can go ahead and stick as much rice as they like in their warehouses.”
“Oh, you poor things. It must be so hard for you, not being able to sell your leftover stock for stupidly high prices.”

▼ A report showing rice still priced at over 3,000 yen for five-kilo bags

Basic economic theory would say that if supply of a product is far above demand, it’s a sign that sellers are trying to sell it for more than its equilibrium price, and that in order to increase sales they need to cut their prices until they’re more in line with what customers are willing to pay. That’s probably not a move that rice sellers want to make, especially after having been able to charge inflated prices for the past few years, but it’ll still bring in more revenue than they’ll get from sacks of rice going unsold because they’re overpriced.

Source: Nitele News via Hachima Kiko, USDA, Nikkei Asia, YouTube/ANNnewsCH
Photos ©SoraNews24
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Beloved Final Fantasy mounts are Japan’s newest bird-themed sable sensation.

As a country that loves sweet treats and cute animals, it’s no surprise that one of Japan’s most famous cookies is the Hato Sablé. With hato being the Japanese word for “dove,” these cookies are a popular souvenir among visitors to the city of Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture, where their maker is based, and at department stores and specialty shops in east Japan.

However, right now there’s an avian-themed cookie that’s got an even stronger hold on our attention: the Final Fantasy Chocobo Sablé!

Like all sable cookies, these are a shortbread cookies with a crisp, stimulatingly slightly gritty texture. Perhaps in a way to be evocative of the chocobo’s traditionally bright yellow feathers, the Chocobo Sablé are flavored with honey, adding some extra sweetness to the standard rich buttery notes.

Obviously, no fan would be satisfied with just one Chocobo cookie, so they’re sold in a set of 16 for 1,836 yen (US$12), each individually wrapped with a word bubble featuring the creature’s customary “kweh” call (written “kue” to mimic its in-Japanese pronunciation). The individual wrappings make the cookies easy to share with friends and family or to slowy savor if you’re keeping them all for yourself, and they come packed inside an adorable chocobo tin that will continue to add some choco-cuteness to your home long after you’ve polished off the sweets.

好評発売中

「ファイナルファンタジー　チョコボサブレ
　チョコボ　＜はちみつ風味＞」

チョコボの顔をデザインした缶とサブレが可愛らしい新商品
成田空港第2ビルと池袋PARCOで開催中の #スクエニPOPUP で販売中です#ファイナルファンタジー #FF pic.twitter.com/XSE6Wck6jC

— SQUARE ENIX Official Goods (@SQEX_MD_GOODS) May 3, 2026

The Chocobo Sablé set is being offered at the Square Enix Pop Up Store inside the main building Parco department store’s branch in downtown Tokyo’s Ikebukuro neighborhood, which also has a variety of figures, plushies, pins, and mini posters for the Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Kingdom Hearts, Nier, Chrono Trigger, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun series.

The pop up store is open from now until May 10.

Related: Parco Ikebukuro official website
Source: Square Enix
Top image: Twitter/@SQEX_MD_GOODS
Insert images: SoraNews24, Twitter/@SQEX_MD_GOODS, Square Enix
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Sarusho continues to shine in its second life.

Ordinarily, summer is the season for amazing nighttime pyrotechnics in Japan, as that’s the time of year in which most of the country’s fireworks festivals are held. But rather than wait for the weather to warm up, the organizers of the Art Fire Festival decided to bring their fire to Gunma Prefecture this spring.

Held in the town of Minakami, the Art Fire Festival brought together artists from across the country for a three-day celebration and exhibition of this very specialized artform.

During the day, workshops were held in which performers of varying levels of experience exchanged knowledge on performance techniques, equipment maintenance, and safety precautions.

Once the sun went down, though, it was time to let their skills shine, with bursts and trails of fire lighting up the night sky in the mountainous community.

The unique event had a unique venue too, as it took place at Sarusho. Before acquiring its abbreviated name, Sarusho used to be called Sarugakyo Shogakko, or Sarugakyo Elementary School. Originally built in 1874, the school served local families until 2008, when dwindling population numbers meant there were no longer enough children to justify keeping the school open.

▼ Sarugakyo Elementary School in 1956

Instead of tearing the school down, though, it’s been converted into a hotel, with a focus on groups staying for educational seminars, teambuilding exercises, or sports activities.

With Art Fire Festival 2026 having taken place from April 24 to 26, it’s unfortunately too late to catch the show now. Its name implies, though, that there are probably plans for an Art Fire Festival 2027 in the works, and no doubt it’ll be worth getting fired up about too.

Related: Sarusho official website
Source: PR Times
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times, Sarusho (1, 2)
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Lack of patience, lack of ability to get home without an ambulance.

After a relatively cool spring, the weather in Japan has begun heating up, with a few days this week even hitting early-summer temperatures for the afternoon high. However, it’s not actually summer yet, which means it’s not yet time to head to the beach, wear yukata, or climb Mt. Fuji.

Unfortunately, a foreign tourist didn’t abide by that last point, and on Sunday needed the help of emergency services to get home from the side of Japan’s tallest mountain.

At around 1 o’clock in the morning on May 3, a 23-year-old Chinese tourist set out from the fifth station of the Fujinomiya Trail, located half-way up Mt. Fuji. From there, he and two acquaintances hiked through the pre-dawn darkness, reached the summit, and began making their descent. On their way down, near the ninth station, the man sat down to rest, but lost his balance and slipped down an embankment, suffering abrasions to his right hand and left arm in the process. He was able to continue under his own power back down to the fifth station, but once there asked one of his companions to call 110, Japan’s phone number for emergency services, and have an ambulance come pick him up.

While the hiker is expected to make a full recovery, the silver lining to the incident comes ringed with a layer of frustration. Mt. Fuji is officially closed to hikers for most of the year, with an official climbing season of around two months that starts in midsummer. We’re still far enough away from this year’s Fuji trail openings that their dates haven’t even been announced yet, but for reference last year the Fujinomiya Trail opened on July 10. In recent years, there have been several cases of hikers, many of them foreign nationals, who underestimated the difficulty and potential dangers of trekking on Mt. Fuji outside the climbing season and wound up needing emergency services to come and save them. These situations have become frequent enough that there are growing calls from the public and politicians to have off-season hikers be required to pay the considerable costs involved with dispatching a rescue team because they couldn’t follow the rules.

So remember, while Mt. Fuji might look tranquilly inviting, now’s not the time to try hiking to the top, and until the trails are open, there are other ways to enjoy Japan’s most iconic mountain.

Source: Shizuoka Broadcasting System via Itai News
Top image: Pakutaso (edited by SoraNews24)
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A limited tour in Kagurazaka, Tokyo invites guests to “Discover Edo Through All Five Senses” in one morning with full English services.

Kagurazaka is a central Tokyo neighborhood with refined charm that was once located on the edge of Edo Castle and has connections dating back to Japan’s third “great unifier” and shogun, Ieyasu Tokugawa, in 1590. Its main shopping street, relatively quiet for Tokyo standards, still retains the essence of traditional Japan, while its myriad of cobblestoned back alleys are home to expensive kaiseki multi-course restaurants where geisha still perform. It’s particularly full of gems for lovers of green tea, including traditional tea shops that entice passerby with the heavenly scent of hojicha roasted green tea. In more modern times, the area has also become home to a sizable French influence, with creperies and French-style bakeries dotting the streets.

▼ The Rakuzan tea shop on Kagurazaka’s main shopping street

Image© SoraNews24

If that all sounds like an excellent reason to add Kagurazaka to your upcoming itinerary of Tokyo, you’re in luck because the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau will be offering two immersive Shogun Cultural Experiences this summer in English on the mornings of one Sunday in June and July respectively. The schedule on both June 21 and July 12 begins at 7:30 a.m. and spans 2.5 hours, incorporating a mix of hands-on experiences that link all five human senses in the context of traditional Japanese culture. An overview of the flow of activities is detailed below.

7:30-8:20 a.m. Kagurazaka Cultural Walk (Sense: Sight)

After meeting your host in front of the West Exit ticket gate at JR Iidabashi Station, you’ll first embark on a walking tour of the neighborhood. Learn about Kagurazaka’s development from the inception of the Edo Period (1603-1868) to modern times, including samurai history and the establishment of temples of importance in the area.

▼ A typical cobblestone alley in the quiet back alleys of Kagurazaka

8:20-9:10 a.m. Wagashi and Tea Ceremony Experience (Senses: Taste and Smell)

Next, put your hands to work by engaging in a wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets)-making workshop led by Takeshi Inoue, the fourth-generation head of local sweets shop Baikatei and a purveyor of sweets to the Imperial Household of Japan.

▼ It takes a certain deftness of hand to form the elegantly detailed shapes of typical wagashi.

He will also guide you through a traditional tea ceremony where you can sample freshly whisked matcha.

9:10-10 a.m. Kokyu Performance and Hands-on Session (Senses: Sound and Touch)

You’ll end the morning by learning about the kokyu, a traditional Japanese stringed instrument played with a bow.

Professional musician Daisuke Kiba, who contributed to the soundtrack of the 2024 Shogun television series, will lead a special performance for your enjoyment.

Finally, participants will even get the chance to try their own hand at playing the instrument.

Tickets for the Shogun Cultural Experiences in Kagurazaka can be purchased through Confetti for 17,000 yen (US$108.57) per person. As the activities wrap up at 10 a.m. sharp, you’ll still have time to explore Kagurazaka a bit more before finding a place for lunch. We recommend Kagurazaka Saryo, a restaurant with a number of special tea-based dessert offerings that you won’t find anywhere else.

Source, images: @Press
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A unique way to eat your greens in Tokyo.

Japan has a knack for taking the familiar and elevating it to realms we never thought possible. A great example of that can be found at Takase Yogashi, a long-established store founded over a century ago, in 1920.

▼ 洋菓子 or “yogashi” translates as “western confectionery”.

With five stores in Tokyo, Takase Yogashi has a loyal base of customers, many of whom come for the anpan (red bean paste bread) and almond tuiles (elegant French cookies), but those with more adventurous tastes vouch for the Mekabu Salad Bread.

The minute you lay eyes on this offering, you know it’s no ordinary bread, and when you learn that “mekabu” is the base section of wakame seaweed, your instincts might be to run in the other direction. You really shouldn’t, though, because mekabe is a highly nutritious Japanese “superfood” that’s high in minerals, fibre, and fucoidan.

▼ It’s usually served with rice, though, so we were curious to find out what it would taste like as a bread ingredient.

Pulling the bread apart, we could see the dough was scattered with black sesame seeds, and the filling in the centre contained a very generous amount of mekabu.

After taking a bite, we were immediately impressed by the mouthfeel, with the soft, chewy bread contrasting beautifully with the crunchiness of the mekabu. The salty Chinese-style seasoning complemented the seaweed while also permeating just enough of the bread to give it an incredibly unique flavour.

It tasted like seaweed but not like the sea, as the bread and sesame seeds helped to round out the flavours, striking a pleasant balance that made every mouthful as delicious as it was nutritious.

It’s certainly one of the most unnique breads you’ll find in Japan, so if you’re feeling adventurous, be sure to stop by a branch in Tokyo and give it a try. And if you’d like to continue your foray into the world of unusual Japanese baked goods, this rare Nara bread is also worth searching for.

Related: Takase Yogashi
Photos ©SoraNews24
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We love Japan’s favorite donut chain as much as the next foodie, but you’ve got to eat a lot to get your money’s worth.

Looking back, the last time we didn’t want to eat a donut was…uh, actually, we’re not sure. We seem to vaguely remember that there may have been somewhere in our past when we weren’t craving one, but we’re pretty sure it was back in our infant days. Since graduating to solid foods, though, we can’t seem to recall ever not having at least a background craving for donuts, especially since, here in Japan, we’re never very far from a branch of Mister Donut.

Mister Donut is an especially good place to indulge in our donut-y desires, since not only do they have an array of delicious treats, they’ve also been quickly expanding the availability of their all-you-can-eat deal, which they call the “Donut Buffet.” It’s now available at 108 branches nationwide, and six in Tokyo (at the Nakano, Machiya, Oyama, Hachioji Narahara Copio, Seiyu Fussa, and Hamura branches).

However, Mister Donut now charges 2,000 yen (US$12.90) for adults for an all-you-can-eat session, double what they originally did when they launched the Donut Buffet service 10 years ago, so can we still get our money’s worth? To find out, we dispatched two of our reporters, P.K. Sanjun and Ahiruneko, representing the larger-than-average and smaller-than-average-appetite demographics, respectively.

▼ P.K. (left) and Ahiruneko (right)

Here’s how the Donut Buffer works: you get 60 minutes in which to eat as many donuts, muffins, or pies as you want. You’re allowed to order up to six at a time, and can get another batch once you’ve finished off your batch. Also included in the 2,000-yen price (or 850 yen for kids) are unlimited soft drinks such as tea or coffee.

Though they hadn’t discussed strategies beforehand, P.K. and Ahiruneko opted for similar opening gambits, each selecting three donuts and one pie to start. Their logic was that since Mister Donut, as a donut chain, has a lot of sweet items on its menu, the saltiness of the pie crust would make for a nicely invigorating accent flavor/palate cleanser.

P.K. polished off his first tray in no time at all, and quickly bounded back to the counter to get two more donuts and another pie. Ahiruneko, meanwhile, was eating at a much slower pace.

Feeling no compunction about his coworker’s condition, P.K. launched himself with gusto into his second plate. We should note here that not all of Mister Donut’s pies have sweet feelings.

Some are savory in nature, so the Donut Buffet can be both lunch/dinner and dessert if you want it to be. After staring off with a sausage pie in his first tray, P.K. switched things up with a meat sauce and mashed potato pie in his second batch, and the meaty, salty notes felt all the more intense following the sweets he’d scarfed down just before.

▼ P.K.’s “I love this meat sauce mashed potato pie sooooo much!” face

Eventually, Ahiruneko moved on to his second batch too, but also became unable to say anything other than repeatedly murmuring “…Double Chocolate…Double Chocolate…”, with the Mister Donut offering of the same name that he’d eaten in his first batch having left the deepest impression on his taste buds and the heaviest one in his stomach.

Before time was up, P.K. managed to fit in one more batch, bringing his total for the 60-minute all-you-can-eat course to six donuts, three pies, and three drinks. Ahiruneko’s numbers were four donuts, three pies, and three drinks.

So did they come out ahead on this deal? Let’s add up what they ate and drank.

● P.K. Sanjun
Frankfurter Pie: 253 yen
Cinnimon Ring: 176 yen
Dora Matcha Tsubuan Hana Whipped Cream: 341 yen
Zakuzaku Custard French: 209 yen
Meat Sauce and Mashed Potato Pie: 264 yen
Sugar Raised: 176 yen
Pon de Uji Matcha Azuki Matcha Warabimochi: 275 yen
Butter Chicken Curry Pie: 264 yen
Plain Pon de Ring: 176 yen
Iced Coffee: 297 yen
Iced Coffee: 297 yen
Orange Juice: 297 yen
Total: 3,025 yen

● Ahiruneko
Angel French: 187 yen
Sugar Raised: 176 yen
Double Chocolate: 187 yen
Frankfurter Pie: 253 yen
Butter Chicken Curry Pie: 264 yen
Plain Pon de Ring: 176 yen
Meat Sauce and Mashed Potato Pie: 264 yen
Iced Oolong Tea: 264 yen
Iced Earl Grey Tea: 297 yen
Iced Coffee: 297 yen
Total: 2.365 yen

So yes, both of them got their money’s worth, with P.K. eating/drinking 1,025 yen more than the 2,000 yen he’d paid for the Donut Buffet, and Ahiruneko 365 yen more. It’s probably worth noting, though, that both of them also had multiple savory pies, and they also had three drinks each, and if you subtract those out. So if you’re thinking about giving Mister Donut’s all-you-can-eat deal a go, the best plan is probably to show up not just when you want donuts, but when you’re also jungry for meal, and thirsty too.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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