TOKYO -- The price of rice used by restaurants in Japan has surged by 30% to 40% from a year earlier, as food service companies move to secure supplies on expectations of a prolonged shortage caused in part by an influx of tourists.
The JA Group, Japan's agricultural collective, sets prices that it pays farmers for rice varieties often used by businesses. For one variety often used in rice bowl dishes, this year's price was set at 15,000 yen ($104) for 60 kilograms, up 39% from last year. The price of another variety popular among restaurants and providers of prepared meals rose 38% to 16,500 yen.
