The price of Japanese-grown rice is soaring due to high inflation, low farm yields and a growing tourism sector.

The government has been releasing some of its stockpiled rice since March, but that has yet to translate to lower prices. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Since last summer rice prices have soared as supplies have fallen short of demand and the government has long paid farmers to cut back on rice acreage, and change to other crops to keep rice prices relatively high.