Latest news with #ShoIto
Asahi Shimbun
7 days ago
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
Lawson to sell lower-priced onigiri made of ‘vintage rice'
A sample of Lawson Inc.'s 'Vintage Rice Onigiri' is shown in Tokyo on June 3. (Sho Ito) Lawson Inc. will begin selling 'Vintage Rice Onigiri' made from rice harvested in 2023 at lower prices than its usual onigiri, the company announced on June 3. The convenience store chain has procured about two tons of the older crop from the market. The rice is not from the recently released government reserves, Lawson said. At a news conference, Lawson President Sadanobu Takemasu said the company wanted to more effectively utilize the older rice, since it has been preserved in good condition. Lawson plans to begin selling Vintage Rice Onigiri at outlets in parts of the Kanto region in early July, at the earliest. Takemasu said the company plans to offer a few basic varieties, such as those seasoned with salt or containing 'umeboshi' pickled plum, for around 120 yen ($0.84) each before taxes. Lawson was inspired by the wine industry to label the onigiri with the harvest year—'Vintage 2023'—like bottles of fine wine. The company also said it will begin selling small bags of older rice from government stockpiles at stores in the Kanto region within three days of its delivery and at outlets nationwide in about a week. A 1-kilogram package of government rice will be sold for 360 yen before taxes, and a 2-kilogram package for 700 yen.
Asahi Shimbun
23-05-2025
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
Japan pledges immediate rice relief for consumers to prevent shift to foreign brands
Bags of Calrose rice from California, which Aeon Co. will sell under the Karoyaka brand, are shown in Tokyo on May 13. (Sho Ito) Japan's new agriculture minister pledged on Friday to quickly move rice from government stockpiles to store shelves where they would be offered at prices significantly lower than current levels, seeking to stem a consumer shift to cheaper, foreign brands. Soaring rice prices, due in part to crop damage from extreme heat and additional demand from a boom in tourism, have become a major concern for Japanese consumers as well as the government with upper house elections set for July. The government has been releasing some of its stockpiled rice since March but that has yet to translate to lower supermarket prices. 'The abnormal surge in prices that we're seeing now could accelerate the shift away from domestically produced rice in Japan,' Shinjiro Koizumi told a press conference. 'We're already seeing supermarkets buying directly from the United States despite having to pay tariffs... We have to quash this abnormal situation and speed is of the essence.' Japan has historically been reluctant to encourage imports of rice, seeking self-sufficiency for its most basic food and putting up high tariffs to protect local farmers from competition. Koizumi, the son of former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi, took up his post just two days ago. His predecessor, Taku Eto, was forced to resign after angering voters by saying he had never had to buy rice thanks to gifts from supporters. Koizumi said he aimed for stockpiled rice to reach store shelves for under 3,000 yen ($21) per 5 kg by early June. That compares with an average price of 4,268 yen in the seven days to May 11, double the same period a year earlier. Nationwide consumer price index (CPI) data on Friday showed soaring rice prices accelerating overall food inflation to 7.0% in April, from 6.2% in March. Koizumi also met with Rakuten Group CEO Hiroshi Mikitani, who said the online retail giant was prepared to support the government's efforts. Upon taking office, Koizumi immediately terminated the auction method of releasing emergency-use rice and said the government would instead sell via discretionary contracts. The government first released rice from its emergency stock in March through two auctions for 210,000 metric tons, but as of late April, only about 7% had reached retailers due to a complex and time-consuming processing and distribution scheme. Koizumi said the ministry plans to outline a basic framework for how the new process would work next week. Questions remain over how the government would select whom to sell to and at what price. It is planning to release 100,000 tons every month through July.
Asahi Shimbun
14-05-2025
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
Aeon to market California rice as cheaper option with light texture
Bags of Calrose rice from California, which Aeon Co. will sell under the Karoyaka brand, are shown in Tokyo on May 13. (Sho Ito) Aeon Co. announced plans to sell lower-priced rice imported from California nationwide, a move the U.S. ambassador to Japan called 'historic,' as prices of the nation's staple crop remain double those of last year. 'For Japan's largest supermarket chain to offer 100-percent U.S.-grown Calrose rice in its stores across the country is truly a historic moment,' George Glass said at a launch event held at his official residence in Tokyo on May 13. A 4-kilogram package of Karoyaka brand rice will be available at a tax-inclusive 2,894 yen ($20), about 15 percent cheaper than the nationwide average, Aeon officials said. The company plans to sell about 14,000 tons mainly in urban areas, where rice is in short supply. Sales will start in phases from June 6. Aeon said the Californian rice will offer Japanese households an alternative to short-grain varieties mainly consumed in the country. The medium-grain Calrose, light in texture, goes well with pilaf and risotto dishes, as well as Asian cuisine, officials said. The Karoyaka rice is cheaper than domestic varieties despite a tariff of 341 yen per kilogram. Aeon decided to sell bags of 100-percent U.S. rice following strong sales of its Japanese-U.S. blended rice introduced in April. Japan has protected its rice market by levying a tariff on foreign imports, saying domestic production is crucial for the nation's food security. The United States has long complained about access to Japan's rice market. U.S. President Donald Trump falsely claimed that Tokyo is imposing a 700-percent tariff on U.S. rice after he returned to the White House in January. The government is considering increasing imports of U.S. rice to win concessions from Washington in ongoing negotiations on U.S. tariffs. (This article was written by Sho Ito and Shiki Iwasawa.)
