Delicious Rice! Let’s Eat!
Have you had any troubles with rice recently?
We’ve researched a lot to help protect tasty rice and to prevent both the decrease in farmers and the rise in rice prices.
Social Issues Today
Why does the price of rice change so much? Let’s check in the graph.
As such, the price of rice has risen significantly in recent years. The main reasons behind the price hike were cited as climate change, rising production costs, and the abolition of the rice production reduction policy!
Therefore, this is not the first time that rice prices have risen sharply. There have been times in the past when rice prices have risen sharply due to these same reasons, and we have used appropriate methods to resolve the issue at the time.
Then, in the spring of 2025, the government tried to respond by releasing stockpiled rice, but prices remained unstable and unfortunately this did not have much effect.
So why didn’t prices drop completely?
We believe the main reasons are low rice stockpiles, complex distribution systems, and price fluctuations due to demand and weather.
As a result, Hamamatsu City is also facing a shortage of successors and rising costs for machinery and fertilizers, making farming operations increasingly difficult.
The History of Rice
Next, let’s check the history of rice!
Behind the rice we eat every day is a story spanning 3,000 years!
Koshihikari has become widely popular as Japan’s signature rice.
~The lineage of delicious rice~
What is Enshu’s Brand Rice?
～research of Yaramaika awareness～
The awareness of Yaramaika Rice among the farmers we interviewed was extremely low, but it turned out that about 40% of them were actually familiar with it from our survey.
～It’s even available for school lunches! ~The power of Yaramaika~～
〜Comparing Yaramaika Rice with Other Branded Rice〜
Hamamatsu’s brand rice, Yaramaika, is affordable and has a taste that anyone can enjoy, but it is produced in limited quantities and can be difficult to find.
Ｑ.Do you know any other brand of rice from the Enshu region besides “Yaramaika”?
Only a few people in our class knew about other branded rice varieties, but the survey showed that about 80% of people were aware of them.
～Introducing Enshu Brand Rice Other Than Yara Rice～
Since Yaramaika is not available nationwide, it seems they are focusing on local production for local consumption rather than nationwide expansion.
What Are Rice Terraces?
〜The charm of rice terraces that will connect to the future〜
Traditional landscapes, rich culture, mountain water and wildlife – the true charm of Japan can be found here!
Rice in Japan vs. the World
Differences in production volume come not only from land size and mechanization, but also from mass production, technological advances such as double cropping and improved varieties, and policies like rice production reduction！
~Features of different kinds of rice ~
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~differences in farming environment ~
As a result, rice prices have risen significantly in recent years.
~manners of eating rice~
What you can do starting tomorrow
〜SDGｓ―The Power to Cultivate the Future〜
Rice paddies protect water and wildlife, support food security and local economies, and contribute to climate change mitigation and food loss reduction.
What We Can Do
The producers at Yaramaika felt that hearing consumers say “It’s delicious” was the most rewarding aspect of farming. Other appealing factors include the joy of having their rice chosen by customers and the flexibility of their work style.
Conclusion
Japanese rice fields and rice terraces not only provide us with food, but also play an important role in environmental conservation. This is why it is essential to create sustainable agriculture!
Starting today, let’s become “rice maisters” and support the future of rice production from our dinner tables!
