Rice Coupons: A Misguided Approach to Countering Rising Prices

Editorial

14:30 JST, December 13, 2025

The “rice coupons” that the central government recommends local governments provide are a misguided approach to countering rising prices. To ensure people can eat rice with peace of mind, the logical step is to strengthen the production base.

The government has increased the amount in the special tax allocation for local governments to implement measures to deal with rising prices. In this regard, the central government recommended that local governments provide about ¥3,000 per person, specially designated for food items, in the form of digital coupons or purchase certificates.

One of the recommended items the central government listed in this program is rice coupons, but this has sparked a wave of skepticism from local governments and others.

Rice prices have remained high at around ¥4,300 per 5 kilograms. However, this year’s rice harvest was good, with prices predicted to fall.

Nevertheless, distributing rice coupons would force consumers to purchase rice at the current high prices. Wouldn’t this policy just keep rice prices high?

There is also a significant problem in terms of fairness. Rice is not the only food item affected by price increases. Given the doubts about the effectiveness of this policy, coupled with the burden on local governments with the complex work of distributing rice coupons, the wave of criticism is entirely understandable.

The high expense ratio is also a concern. While privately produced rice coupons, which would be purchased and distributed by local governments, are priced at ¥500 each, only ¥440 of that amount — after deducting printing costs and other expenses — can be used to purchase rice. Even reducing this expense ratio would only be a stopgap measure.

Fukuoka Mayor Soichiro Takashima voiced his frustration, criticizing, “I want the central government to realize that all the work and costs involved come from taxpayers’ money.” The surge of municipalities that have announced their decision not to distribute rice coupons is an unusual situation.

Distribution of the rice coupons is not mandatory for local governments. However, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Norikazu Suzuki expressed enthusiasm for the rice coupon program at a press conference when he took office in October, saying, “This is something we can implement immediately.” The reality is that it is perceived as his pet policy.

This is likely why local governments consider the central government to be forcing the task of rice coupon distribution upon them and are openly voicing their dissatisfaction. The administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi cannot afford to leave this confusion unaddressed.

The government’s rice policy is drifting. The previous administration of former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba had announced a major shift in postwar rice farming policy, revising the approach of de facto reduction in rice paddy acreage and steering toward increased production. However, upon taking office, the new agriculture minister abruptly revised that policy.

The agriculture minister’s repeated call for “production based on demand” is nothing more than a tactic to continue the policy of rice paddy acreage reduction and maintain prices.

The distribution of rice coupons was probably introduced to align with measures against rising prices, but this is not even a temporary fix. It only serves to deepen distrust in agricultural policy.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 13, 2025)