Japanese scramble to buy beloved rice as shortages bite

AFP | Tokyo, Japan

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The threat of a "megaquake", a series of typhoons, and a week-long national holiday have some Japanese scrambling to buy rice -- the nation's cherished staple food -- with the government warning yesterday against panic buying.

"We could only procure half the usual amount of rice this summer and bags of rice get quickly sold out," a clerk at a branch of the popular Fresco supermarket chain told AFP in the Japanese capital.

Rice shelves in some stores emptied or stocks were rationed after a government warning this month -- since lifted -- of a possible "megaquake", as well as several typhoons and the annual Obon holiday.

Other factors include lower harvests caused by hot weather and water shortages, as well as increased demand related to record numbers of foreign tourists.

At one food store in Tokyo, a sign seen by AFP read: "In order for many customers to be able to buy, we ask you to purchase one (bag of rice) a day per family."

A worker at another store in Tokyo said: "We can't purchase any rice at all, and there's no prospect of buying anytime soon". The Fresco worker told AFP that daily stocks ran out by midday.

A new harvesting season has started with 40 percent of the crop available by the end of September, a farm ministry official told AFP.