JAPAN IS HAVING A RICE SHORTAGE

Japan is in the middle of a rice shortage. Throughout summer 2024, the country has seen supermarket shortages of rice as demand outpaced production for the last three years. In August, supermarkets reportedly often ran out of white rice and stores limited purchases to one bag per person. The reasons for the shortage: aging rice farmers are retiring and fewer young people take up the profession. In addition, the typhoon season is coming, and many Japanese households stock up on rice ahead of time. Also, an influx of tourists eating sushi has increased demand. Rice consumption by tourists more than doubled from 2022 to 2023, from 19,000 tons to 51,000 tons.
* Well, no one goes to Japan for the potatoes.
* Japan running out of rice is like America running out of bite-sized Halloween candy – it’s impossible to comprehend.
* One suggestion: what’s Japanese for “macaroni and cheese”?
* Are there any more food shortage hot spots? Does Italy have enough pasta? What’s the chocolate situation in Switzerland? Is Germany running short of beer? Is England well-stocked with steak-and-kidney pie? Okay, that last one was a joke.