Japan: Rice "sold out" in Tokyo, supermarket says each person can only buy 1 bag

Japan is experiencing a rice shortage in Tokyo and online stores due to the 2023 rice harvest and an influx of foreign tourists, aggravated by fears of a super earthquake that have led to pan buying of essential food items. Large supermarkets and online platforms are out of stock, with delivery dates pushed back to late September. The government and supermarkets are advising customers to limit their rice purchases, and some rice specialty stores have run out and closed. The severity of the rice shortage remains uncertain, with other items still available or quickly replenished.

A shortage of some essential food items, most notably rice, is occurring in Japan. Many stores and supermarkets in the capital Tokyo have no more rice to sell. On the afternoon of August 15, at some large supermarkets such as Life, Frente and some rice specialty stores in Tokyo, a VNA reporter in Tokyo found that most of the shelves selling rice and instant noodles were completely empty, although there was still a notice hanging that "each customer should only buy 1 bag of rice." Even when buying sticky rice, an item that is still on the shelves, there is still a restriction that each customer can only buy 1 package weighing 1kg. Some rice specialty stores outside the supermarket system also recorded a similar situation, and some stores have even closed because they are out of stock. On Amazon.com and Rakuten Group's online shopping sites and other online sales channels in Japan, rice, canned goods, and instant noodles are also out of stock, and the earliest delivery date is only ...