🍚 Rice Price Down 3%: ¥31,556 / 60kg

❓ What was announced?

On September 18, 2026, Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) released the August 2026 figures for negotiated (wholesale) transaction prices and volumes of rice from the 2025 (Reiwa 7) crop year. The all-brand average was ¥31,556 per 60kg of brown rice, down ¥930 (3%) from the previous month, on a total traded volume of 57,000 tons. The "negotiated transaction price" is the contract price between shippers such as JA agricultural cooperatives and wholesalers. It is a weighted average of grade-1 rice prices including freight, packaging and consumption tax. It is not the supermarket shelf price, but because it is the starting point for rice that will later be milled and sold at retail, it is a useful leading indicator of retail prices a few months ahead. The survey is conducted monthly. Since March 2014 the government has been publishing detailed supply-demand, price, sales-progress and inventory information for rice distribution. This stems from the rice policy review applied from the 2018 crop year, under which producers and shipping organizations make their own management and sales decisions to match production to demand, while the government provides the information infrastructure. The release includes a preliminary table of prices and volumes by production area and brand, plus reference materials on price trends from the 2021 to 2025 crop years, long-term staple rice price movements, and contracted volume trends.

👥 Who does this affect?

• ●Foreign residents who buy rice and cook at home in Japan
• ●Owners and staff of restaurants, bento shops and delis who purchase rice for business use
• ●International students, technical intern trainees and Ikusei Shuro workers, for whom food is a large share of spending
• ●Travelers and people planning to move to Japan who want to track food price trends

🌏 Impact on foreign residents

For foreign residents in Japan, rice is a purchase that weighs heavily on the household budget. The figure of ¥31,556 per 60kg is a business-to-business price; dividing by 12 gives roughly ¥2,630 for a 5kg equivalent. Milling, bagging, transport and retail margins are added on top, so the supermarket price will be higher than that. Even so, a 3% month-on-month drop in the transaction price is useful input when thinking about where shelf prices may head over the next few months. If you work at or run a restaurant, bento shop or deli, the figure is a reference point for when to revisit your rice purchasing terms. For international students, technical intern trainees and Ikusei Shuro workers, whose food costs take up a large share of income, simply knowing the direction of the monthly move makes it easier to plan bulk buying. Travelers do not pay this price directly, but it is helpful background when judging restaurant prices or the cost of rice bought as a souvenir.