Amid High Rice Prices, Make Agriculture Sustainability an Election Issue

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The rising price of rice continues to place a burden on household finances. This has rightly prompted many people to reexamine the state of Japanese agriculture. Ordinary Japanese are asking, "Can rice be supplied stably at a price that is acceptable to both producers and consumers?"

Measures to achieve this goal constitute a critical issue for the nation. And in various ways, all of Japan's political parties are competing to provide the best answer.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has called for "promoting exports and increasing production in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector." Both ruling and opposition parties have mentioned agriculture in their campaign pledges in the Lower House election. The Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA), for example, is calling for the creation of a direct payment system, among other things. It refers to the system as "Food and Agriculture Payments."

Disappointingly, however, these various proposals have not become a central topic for debate during the election. The Japanese public and agricultural sector sincerely need more active debate among the parties on this vital issue.

Where the Issue Stands

Retail rice prices remain high, at around ￥4,000 JPY ($25 USD) per five-kilogram bag. Meanwhile, the 2025 harvest yield was bountiful, so prices are expected to fall in the future. However, a precipitous price drop will cause hardship for producers. But if prices remain high, consumers will seek substitutes for rice.

The only solution is to increase agricultural productivity and ensure profits even without high prices. Given concerns over the shrinkage of the agricultural sector workforce, reforms to increase agricultural sustainability are all the more urgent. This issue also has a major impact on the nation's food security.

In 2025, agricultural policy was reduced to a chaotic state. Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Norikazu Suzuki shifted from the policy of increasing production pursued under the previous administration of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to one of "production according to demand." 

The ministry has also been considering including a mention of this in the food supply control law, the Act on Stabilization of Supply, Demand and Prices of Staple Food. But this same wording was also a common phrase employed during the era of reduced rice production. In the same era, the area under cultivation was reduced in order to maintain higher rice prices.

Where the Political Parties Stand

In its comprehensive policy manifesto, the LDP vows, "We will proceed with production and sales in line with demand, based on more accurate surveys." If this does not signal a return to rice production reduction, the LDP should provide a convincing explanation. 

Nippon Ishin no Kai, the LDP's coalition partner, has stated that it will build a "production system that responds to both domestic and export demand." It intends to use this approach to increase rice production.

Proposals emanating from the opposition are also attracting attention. One is the CRA's "Food and Agriculture Payments." Another one attracting attention is the Democratic Party for the People's "Basic Food Security Payments."

The household income compensation system introduced by the administration of the now-defunct Democratic Party of Japan (DJP) was criticized at the time for being a handout. Reasons for that assessment focused on the flat-rate payment it anticipated. Its successor, the CRA, should now provide a full explanation of the system it is proposing. Simultaneously, it must show whether the lessons learned from this earlier misguided effort have been fully applied.

Other parties, too, have been calling for more proactive agricultural policies. The Japanese Communist Party proposes a ￥1 trillion ($6.4 million) increase in the rice and paddy field budget. Meanwhile, Reiwa Shinsengumi calls for doubling the agriculture and forestry budget. And Sanseito has gone so far as to propose a plan to increase production to a level where Japan can enjoy 100% self-sufficiency for its food supply.

Where Consumers Stand

Both the ruling and opposition parties are focusing on winning votes in rural areas. However, the perspective of consumers is also important when it comes to ensuring a stable supply of food, including rice.

Whether or not the country can create a resilient agricultural sector is something that will affect all Japanese.

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Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun

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