Japan's staple food is getting pricier by the bowl! 📈 Data released this week shows supermarket rice prices hit 4,267 yen ($27) per 5kg bag – a historic high that's leaving wallets empty and dinner tables strained.
Osaka residents told CGTN Stringer they're now 'counting every grain' 🧮, with some families cutting daily rice consumption. 'I wait for discount days like it's Black Friday,' one shopper confessed, highlighting creative budgeting strategies emerging nationwide.
While the Agriculture Ministry monitors the situation, critics question whether current measures go far enough to stabilize prices in this critical election year. With rice being central to Japanese cuisine and culture, 2026's affordability crisis could ripple through society faster than sushi on a conveyor belt 🍣.
