Japan : Panic Rice-Buying Freaks Officials

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https://japantoday.com/category/national/Japanese-gov't-appeals-for-calm-as-panic-rice-buying-continues

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 appealing to the public Tuesday not panic buy.

"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.

. . .

You wouldn't expect a rice shortage in Japan, but
apparently that's exactly what's happened.

NOW everybody is trying to grab as much rice as fast
as they can - kind of like the pix of American women
with carts overflowing with toilet paper back during
the Covid thing.

(Apparently life in the USA will just *end* if there's
no toilet paper ... all the women will kill themselves
or go insane or something :-)

However in Japan and most of asia rice is a HUGE food
staple. Without rice people CAN die. Wheat/corn/etc
imported from the USA/Canada MIGHT fill the gap but
the people aren't USED to that, may have serious
digestive issues if suddenly forced to eat large
quantities.

Also, to import THAT much food - EXPENSIVE !

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Post by ***@ud0s4.net
https://japantoday.com/category/national/Japanese-gov't-appeals-for-calm-as-panic-rice-buying-continues

Post by ***@ud0s4.net
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 appealing to the public Tuesday not panic buy.
"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.
.. . .
You wouldn't expect a rice shortage in Japan, but
apparently that's exactly what's happened.
NOW everybody is trying to grab as much rice as fast
as they can - kind of like the pix of American women
with carts overflowing with toilet paper back during
the Covid thing.
(Apparently life in the USA will just *end* if there's
no toilet paper ... all the women will kill themselves
or go insane or something :-)
However in Japan and most of asia rice is a HUGE food
staple. Without rice people CAN die. Wheat/corn/etc
imported from the USA/Canada MIGHT fill the gap but
the people aren't USED to that, may have serious
digestive issues if suddenly forced to eat large
quantities.
Also, to import THAT much food - EXPENSIVE !

Rice is
carbs which equal sugar. It is a cheap alternative in comparison to
Soy ( which is even cheaper ), Bean Curd is a lot better then Rice in
my opinion, Rice is sugar to your body and the end result is not
ideal. Having beef is better.

Largely agreed. Rice rapidly breaks down into sugar.
However it is (normally) cheap and everybody is used
to it. Have been for so many gens there may be digestive
and metabolic optimizations for the stuff.

Beef, in moderation, is just fine and has a number of
useful vitamins and such ... more than chicken/turkey.
However triple-cheeseburgers three times a day are NOT
recommended (and don't forget to super-size the fries
and sugar drinks hon !)

Soy and 'bean curd' are just kinda, well, *blah* and
few want to eat a lot. Also even soy and beans are
still neatly-packaged carbs - just maybe "slower" -
but do also have more protein than rice. I keep
pretty damned 'keto' and do not even eat beans -
nuts are better, almost all protein.

However what we HAVE here is a shortage in THE staple
food in an entire country. It's an immediate situation.
Weather was bad this year plus some other bad stuff
mentioned in the article. I wouldn't even surprised
if China did a little agro-warfare just to mess around.

So, what to DO about the situation ? What CAN,
affordably, digestably, be substituted ?

Hmm ... before WW2, 'fat' people were quite rare in
Japan, and the lifespans were long and energetic
even WITH a huge amount of rice in the diet. This
picture has changed a bit ... more 'western' diets.

Last fall there was some kind of disaster in a
little US heartland town that had cut off a lot of
the transportation. The news said food supplies
were being rushed in. Then they showed vid of
the emergency town-hall meeting. At least 80%
were just *gigantic* - like really literally
roll-down-a-hill gigantic. The guys, the gals,
the kiddies. Not sure HOW many bags of Cheetos
and candy and cases of beer a day it takes to
DO that to a population.