TOKYO — Government stockpiled rice went on sale at retail stores across Japan on May 31 after it was released through discretionary contracts, drawing long queues, with some eager consumers lining up overnight to secure a bag amid high rice prices.
Leading home goods firm Iris Ohyama Inc., headquartered in Sendai, sold a combined total of 160 5-kilogram bags for 2,160 yen (about $15) each across two affiliated home center stores. Though the initially scheduled sale date was June 2, these plans were pushed forward after milling and shipping progressed more smoothly than anticipated, allowing consumers to buy the rice only five days after the company had expressed an interest in purchasing it.
Sales were limited to one bag per customer and conducted at its two home centers, one in Sendai, and one in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture.
At the Sendai store, where 95 bags were available, approximately 250 people had lined up for numbered tickets by around 7:30 a.m., despite rainy weather.
A 49-year-old man who was first in line after arriving around midnight commented, “I have growing children at home, so this really helps. Prices of 4,000 or 5,000 yen for 5 kg of rice are far too high.” When sales began at 9 a.m., customers holding their tickets received their bags one by one.
An Iris Ohyama representative said, “We repeatedly made internal adjustments because we wanted to deliver rice to consumers as early as possible.” Many people were unable to purchase rice on the launch day due to the limited quantities, but the company plans to expand sales to additional stores in the future.
(Japanese original by Hiroyuki Yamanaka, Sendai Bureau)
