Food Is Once Again a Hot Election Issue as Japan Goes to Polls
Soaring rice prices have become a flashpoint for public frustration in Japan, and a key issue in the upcoming election.
Shinjiro Koizumi, agriculture minister of Japan, visits a rice farm, in Chikusei, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, July 9, 2025.
Photographer: Soichiro Koriyama/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Welcome to the new Business of Food newsletter, covering how the world feeds itself in a changing economy and climate, from farming to supply chains to consumer trends. This week, Sakura Murakami looks at the political power of rice in Japan. Any tips or feedback? Email food czar Agnieszka de Sousa. And if you aren’t yet signed up to receive this newsletter, please do so here.