From onigiri to donburi, omurice and more, rice is an important part of Japanese meals. But according to recent data, people in Japan are eating less rice than they did before.
The Rice Stable Supply Support Organization found that, in the year that ended March 2026, the average amount of rice eaten per month fell by 6.1%.
The average each month per person was 4,435 grams of rice, down from 4,722 grams in 2024. If one rice bowl contains about 65 grams of rice, then that's about the same as four and a half fewer bowls of rice. The new monthly average is also the lowest amount since 2018, when the average was 4,426 grams.
Since the summer of 2024, the price of rice has increased in Japan, after very hot weather affected the year's harvest. Prices jumped to over 4,000 yen — about $25 — for 5 kilograms of rice. That's around double the average before the shortage, which was around 2,000 yen, or about $12.50.
Because of this, many people started substituting other things for rice to save money — eating things like noodles or bread instead.
However, as rice production improved in 2025, prices started to decrease again. And it's thought that prices will decrease again this year, after the 2026 harvest.
While better prices might help, it's not clear whether they will be enough to increase rice consumption among people in Japan. But it's impossible to make some of Japan's most famous dishes without rice, so it's not likely that people will stop eating it altogether!