TOKYO — The price of rice used by restaurants in Japan has risen between 30% and 40% compared to last year as food service companies move to shore up supplies in anticipation of a prolonged shortage caused in part by the influx of tourists.
JA Group, a Japanese agricultural collective, sets the prices businesses pay farmers for the rice varieties they often use. This year's price for a variety often used in rice dishes is set at 15,000 yen ($104) per 60 kilograms, up 39% from last year. Another variety, popular among restaurants and caterers, rose 38% to ¥16,500.