Latest news with #GeorgeGlass
The Mainichi
5 days ago
- Business
- The Mainichi
'American and Japanese rice farmers can join forces': US ambassador says on exports
TOKYO -- U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass, who assumed his position in April, contributed an opinion piece to the Mainichi Shimbun regarding exports of U.S. rice, stating, "American and Japanese rice farmers can join forces to bring relief to Japanese households." Below is the full text. * * * Rice: Easing the Burden on Japanese Consumers By U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass My first few weeks in Japan as the U.S. Ambassador have reinforced for me the indispensable role of rice in the national diet. Whether it's part of a lunch bento, a sushi dinner, or an onigiri on the go, rice is eaten at least once a day by most Japanese. So, when the price of that staple increases drastically, every consumer and family is impacted. With a standard 5-kilogram bag of rice now twice as much as it was a year ago, Japanese consumers are having to make hard choices about what they buy and what they eat each day. Since food represents the largest share of monthly spending for Japanese households, the current rice situation is, naturally, causing concern across the country. Americans understand what it feels like when the price of a staple food skyrockets. Last year, the United States faced its own crisis when a bird flu outbreak led to a dramatic surge in egg prices. To help mitigate a shortage, the U.S. government looked for a solution overseas, temporarily sourcing eggs from producers as far away as South Korea and Turkey. Within a remarkably short period, egg supplies stabilized and prices returned to near-normal levels. It was bold and unconventional thinking that averted an even worse situation for American consumers. In contrast, the Japanese public has endured months of rising rice prices. Even the release of emergency stockpiles has failed to ease the burden for the average consumer. Unfortunately, a combination of restrictive domestic production policies, a deficient distribution system, and protectionism have hampered the government's ability to provide immediate relief to Japanese consumers and their strained household budgets. Amid the ongoing difficulties, retailers are doing their best to meet consumer demand. Japan's largest supermarket chain, Aeon, for example, will offer premium California-grown Calrose rice at stores across Japan from June 6. Earlier this month, I hosted an event at the Ambassador's Residence in Tokyo to launch Aeon's new product and commended the retailer for providing its customers with another rice option to help them manage their weekly grocery costs. While many Japanese may not immediately associate rice with America, it has been grown in California for more than a century. Initially using methods learned from Japanese growers, farmers in California now produce high-grade rice varieties that meet the exacting standards of the Japanese market. Getting their Calrose rice on supermarket shelves in Japan, however, can be a bigger challenge. The California farmers receive around $670 (approx. 97,000 yen) per ton for their rice, which is a fair market price. But, by the time the same rice reaches the kitchen of a Japanese family, its price has ballooned to around $5,500 (roughly 800,000 yen) per ton. Multiple charges and costs applied once the rice arrives in Japan add an extra 3,500 yen to a 5-kilogram bag. It's an arrangement with no tangible benefit for the Japanese consumer. Japan's rice challenge has highlighted the urgent need for a trading system that is flexible and responsive to market needs. Reform doesn't mean undermining the livelihoods of Japanese farmers, either. As somebody with roots in farming in my home state of Oregon, I understand the essential role our agricultural sector plays in our economies and communities. I also know what it's like to wake up before dawn and spend all day, whatever the weather, tending to livestock or crops. It's hard work that requires determination and adaptability. Like Japanese farmers, American farmers are proud and dedicated stewards of the land they cultivate and the animals they raise. And just as they deserve to be paid fairly for what they produce, consumers deserve to pay a fair price for it. As last year's egg challenges in the U.S. showed, when a nation's food security is at stake, it takes resourcefulness, ingenuity, and even help from your friends to ensure supply chains are secure and supermarket shelves are stocked. The United States and Japan have a long history of helping each other in times of adversity, just as our two countries have worked together for decades to preserve peace and deliver development to nations across the world. Now, in another example of what we can accomplish as friends and partners, American and Japanese rice farmers can join forces to bring relief to Japanese households.
The Mainichi
6 days ago
- Business
- The Mainichi
グラス駐日米大使「日米コメ農家は友人として協力できる」 英文全文
4月に着任したジョージ・グラス駐日米大使が、米国のコメ輸出に関する見解を毎日新聞に寄稿した。 英文全文は以下の通り Rice: Easing the Burden on Japanese Consumers U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass My first few weeks in Japan as the U.S. Ambassador have reinforced for me the indispensable role of rice in the national diet. Whether it's part of a lunch bento, a sushi dinner, or an onigiri on the go, rice is eaten at least once a day by most Japanese. So, when the price of that staple increases drastically, every consumer and family is impacted. With a standard 5-kilogram bag of rice now twice as much as it was a year ago, Japanese consumers are having to make hard choices about what they buy and what they eat each day. Since food represents the largest share of monthly spending for Japanese households, the current rice situation is, naturally, causing concern across the country. Americans understand what it feels like when the price of a staple food skyrockets. Last year, the United States faced its own crisis when a bird flu outbreak led to a dramatic surge in egg prices. To help mitigate a shortage, the U.S. government looked for a solution overseas, temporarily sourcing eggs from producers as far away as South Korea and Turkey. Within a remarkably short period, egg supplies stabilized and prices returned to near-normal levels. It was bold and unconventional thinking that averted an even worse situation for American consumers. In contrast, the Japanese public has endured months of rising rice prices. Even the release of emergency stockpiles has failed to ease the burden for the average consumer. Unfortunately, a combination of restrictive domestic production policies, a deficient distribution system, and protectionism have hampered the government's ability to provide immediate relief to Japanese consumers and their strained household budgets. Amid the ongoing difficulties, retailers are doing their best to meet consumer demand. Japan's largest supermarket chain, Aeon, for example, will offer premium California-grown Calrose rice at stores across Japan from June 6. Earlier this month, I hosted an event at the Ambassador's Residence in Tokyo to launch Aeon's new product and commended the retailer for providing its customers with another rice option to help them manage their weekly grocery costs. While many Japanese may not immediately associate rice with America, it has been grown in California for more than a century. Initially using methods learned from Japanese growers, farmers in California now produce high-grade rice varieties that meet the exacting standards of the Japanese market. Getting their Calrose rice on supermarket shelves in Japan, however, can be a bigger challenge. The California farmers receive around $670 (¥97,000) per ton for their rice, which is a fair market price. But, by the time the same rice reaches the kitchen of a Japanese family, its price has ballooned to around $5,500 (¥800,000) per ton. Multiple charges and costs applied once the rice arrives in Japan add an extra ¥3,500 to a 5-kilogram bag. It's an arrangement with no tangible benefit for the Japanese consumer. Japan's rice challenge has highlighted the urgent need for a trading system that is flexible and responsive to market needs. Reform doesn't mean undermining the livelihoods of Japanese farmers, either. As somebody with roots in farming in my home state of Oregon, I understand the essential role our agricultural sector plays in our economies and communities. I also know what it's like to wake up before dawn and spend all day, whatever the weather, tending to livestock or crops. It's hard work that requires determination and adaptability. Like Japanese farmers, American farmers are proud and dedicated stewards of the land they cultivate and the animals they raise. And just as they deserve to be paid fairly for what they produce, consumers deserve to pay a fair price for it. As last year's egg challenges in the U.S. showed, when a nation's food security is at stake, it takes resourcefulness, ingenuity, and even help from your friends to ensure supply chains are secure and supermarket shelves are stocked. The United States and Japan have a long history of helping each other in times of adversity, just as our two countries have worked together for decades to preserve peace and deliver development to nations across the world. Now, in another example of what we can accomplish as friends and partners, American and Japanese rice farmers can join forces to bring relief to Japanese households.
Zawya
25-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Saudi Arabia and the United States of America together at Expo 2025 Osaka
The Saudi Arabia Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka hosts VIP delegations and business events that focus on the Kingdom's national transformation and its growing impact on the world. The visit reaffirms the strategic long-term relationship between the Kingdom and the U.S. while providing opportunities for potential future partnerships across all sectors vital to the continued growth of both nations. Osaka, Japan — U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass was warmly welcomed by Dr. Ghazi Binzagr, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Japan, at the Saudi Arabia Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. In leading the private tour, Dr. Binzagr and Ambassador Glass shared a journey of epic discovery through the Pavilion, which showcases Saudi Arabia's rich cultural history, its transformation as a nation, and the impact it is having globally in sustainability and innovation. The U.S. delegation enjoyed warm Saudi hospitality over a discussion which focused on shared Saudi–U.S. goals for Expo 2025 Osaka and beyond, before exchanging gifts in the Saudi Majlis. Dr. Ghazi Faisal Binzagr, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Japan and Commissioner General of the Saudi Arabia Pavilion, said it was a productive and collaborative first meeting between the two Ambassadors based in Japan. 'It was so pleasing to welcome Ambassador Glass and his delegation from the United States of America here today. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Pavilion is not only an important cultural asset where we share our story with the world, but also it serves as a meeting place where global leaders can come together to deepen our understanding of each other, while addressing some of our greatest challenges.' The visit between Saudi and American representatives in Japan comes 10 days after U.S. President Donald Trump's historic state visit to Riyadh for the Saudi–U.S. Investment Forum. In addition to hosting over 700 events across the Expo program which includes business and investment forums, visitors to the Saudi Arabia Pavilion will see daily dance and fashion performances, before visiting seven immersive rooms and galleries, from evolving cities, sustainable seas, unlimited human potential, and the pinnacle of innovation, every visitor can see up close the Kingdom's global impact. The full program of events for the Saudi Arabia Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka is available on the official website:
Kyodo News
24-05-2025
- Business
- Kyodo News
Supermarkets offering foreign-grown rice as Japan faces record prices
KYODO NEWS - 43 minutes ago - 12:19 | All, Japan Japan's supermarket operators have been strengthening sales of cheaper, foreign-grown rice, offering another choice to consumers hit by rising prices and concerns about shortages of the country's staple food. Aeon Co. will start selling California-sourced rice on June 6 at its stores, mainly in urban areas, at 2,894 yen ($20) for 4 kilograms. Converted to the more common Japanese sales unit of 5 kilograms, it is 3,618 yen, some 15 percent cheaper than the average price calculated by the farm ministry of Japanese-grown rice at supermarkets nationwide in early May. The company already launched a blend of U.S.- and domestically-grown rice in April. Rival food retailers Ito-Yokado Co. and Seiyu Co. have also sold rice from California and Taiwan, respectively, and seen solid demand. Aeon said the decision to sell California's Calrose rice reflects consumer interest, saying they can no longer purchase rice as before due to higher prices. "The price (of the new product) is affordable. By offering customers the freedom of choice, we hope that overall rice consumption will increase," Aeon Executive Vice President Mitsuko Tsuchiya told a recent press conference. Japan imports rice either through the government, which is obliged to purchase a certain amount from other countries under World Trade Organization arrangements, or private companies, which pay a tariff to the government. Aeon plans to acquire the rice via private import and sell some 14,000 tons over a three-month period. Less sticky and with a more neutral taste than Japanese rice, the medium Calrose variety grown in California is suited for use in risottos, pilaf, stews and soup, Aeon said. U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass called the sale of the U.S.-grown rice by Aeon "historic" for American farmers, given Japan is a "country that takes its rice very seriously, and it's probably the most discerning consumer when it comes to food quality." "Aeon has certainly gone big in its commitment to American rice and American farmers, and at a time when food prices are a concern for all Japanese, this launch couldn't come at a better time for consumers," Glass said. The average price of rice sold at Japanese supermarkets from May 5 to May 11 was a record 4,268 yen per 5 kg, up from 4,214 yen between late April and early May, when it dropped for the first time in 18 weeks. The level remains around two times higher than the previous year, partly due to a poor harvest in the summer of 2023. Related coverage: New farm minister eyes 2,000 yen per 5 kg retail price for gov't rice Japan inflation accelerates in April on reduced energy subsidies FOCUS: Free rice gaffe sends Ishiba into pre-election damage control mode
Kyodo News
24-05-2025
- Business
- Kyodo News
Supermarkets offering foreign-grown rice as Japan faces record prices
KYODO NEWS - 1 minute ago - 12:19 | All, Japan Japan's supermarket operators have been strengthening sales of cheaper, foreign-grown rice, offering another choice to consumers hit by rising prices and concerns about shortages of the country's staple food. Aeon Co. will start selling California-sourced rice on June 6 at its stores, mainly in urban areas, at 2,894 yen ($20) for 4 kilograms. Converted to the more common Japanese sales unit of 5 kilograms, it is 3,618 yen, some 15 percent cheaper than the average price calculated by the farm ministry of Japanese-grown rice at supermarkets nationwide in early May. The company already launched a blend of U.S.- and domestically-grown rice in April. Rival food retailers Ito-Yokado Co. and Seiyu Co. have also sold rice from California and Taiwan, respectively, and seen solid demand. Aeon said the decision to sell California's Calrose rice reflects consumer interest, saying they can no longer purchase rice as before due to higher prices. "The price (of the new product) is affordable. By offering customers the freedom of choice, we hope that overall rice consumption will increase," Aeon Executive Vice President Mitsuko Tsuchiya told a recent press conference. Japan imports rice either through the government, which is obliged to purchase a certain amount from other countries under World Trade Organization arrangements, or private companies, which pay a tariff to the government. Aeon plans to acquire the rice via private import and sell some 14,000 tons over a three-month period. Less sticky and with a more neutral taste than Japanese rice, the medium Calrose variety grown in California is suited for use in risottos, pilaf, stews and soup, Aeon said. U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass called the sale of the U.S.-grown rice by Aeon "historic" for American farmers, given Japan is a "country that takes its rice very seriously, and it's probably the most discerning consumer when it comes to food quality." "Aeon has certainly gone big in its commitment to American rice and American farmers, and at a time when food prices are a concern for all Japanese, this launch couldn't come at a better time for consumers," Glass said. The average price of rice sold at Japanese supermarkets from May 5 to May 11 was a record 4,268 yen per 5 kg, up from 4,214 yen between late April and early May, when it dropped for the first time in 18 weeks. The level remains around two times higher than the previous year, partly due to a poor harvest in the summer of 2023. Related coverage: New farm minister eyes 2,000 yen per 5 kg retail price for gov't rice Japan inflation accelerates in April on reduced energy subsidies FOCUS: Free rice gaffe sends Ishiba into pre-election damage control mode
