More Japanese consumers in Gunma Pref. turning to foreigner-owned shops for rice

The Mainichi

3 days ago

An increasing number of Japanese consumers in Gunma Prefecture, which has one of the highest ratios of foreign residents per unit of population in the country, were seen turning to foreign-owned stores to buy imported rice amid high prices and shortages of the grain in early June.
In the prefecture, many shops and convenience stores operated by individuals from Asia and South America offer rice from countries such as Thailand and India. Since the outbreak of a rice crisis last summer, more Japanese customers have apparently been purchasing these products.
At Alh Mini Mart and Restaurant in the city of Tatebayashi, more than 10 varieties of rice from countries such as Thailand and Pakistan are sold. According to Aung Tin, a member of the Rohingya Muslim minority from Myanmar who manages the establishment, most buyers were initially foreigners from Myanmar and other countries, but the number of Japanese customers has increased since last year. California rice is also sold at this store.
Not only is Japonica rice, commonly consumed by Japanese people, selling well at the store, but so is the long-grain Indica rice. The basmati variety is often used in biryani -- a dish where rice and meat are cooked with spices.
Biryani is served at the restaurant attached to the store. Aung Tin shared a cooking tip, saying, "We layer cooked rice and ingredients in a commercial rice cooker and steam them. The key is to keep the rice firm when cooking."
According to the Gunma Prefectural Government, as of the end of December 2024, there were 81,396 foreign residents in Gunma, accounting for 4.3% of the prefecture's population. This ratio is among the highest in Japan, alongside Tokyo and Aichi Prefecture. The increase in stores and restaurants run by Vietnamese and Nepalese people has made foreign rice more accessible.
At the south exit of JR Maebashi Station, where Japanese language schools operate and students take buses to part-time jobs, the convenience store Chyandora sells jasmine rice produced in Thailand and Vietnam.
While 70% of the customers are foreigners, roughly 30% are Japanese. Neupane Bhesham Raj, a Nepalese representative director, noted, "With the rise in rice prices in Japan, purchases by Japanese customers significantly increased." The Vietnamese Japonica rice is particularly popular among Japanese customers. "The taste is quite similar to Japanese rice," he said.
Private imports also spiked. Beliatta Lanka Co., a wholesaler and retailer in Bando, Ibaraki Prefecture, imports rice for Chyandora. Beliatta Lanka pays a tariff of 341 yen (some $2.30) per kilogram for private imports. The company's Sri Lankan representative director stated, "The demand for foreign rice is increasing, and retail prices are also rising."
(Japanese original by Tetsuya Shoji, Maebashi Bureau)