Japanese tourists buy rice in Korea as prices in Japan continue to skyrocket. Retail industry officials in Seoul have noticed an increase in Japanese visitors filling carts with rice.
One Japanese tourist recently went viral on X, formerly Twitter, after sharing her rice-buying journey during a layover in Seoul. The woman, a middle-aged housewife, bought 4 kilograms of white rice and 5 kilograms of brown rice while returning from Cebu.
She explained her goal was to buy rice in Korea due to Japan’s rising prices. Ten kilograms of rice in Japan cost about 8,000 yen, nearly $57. However, she found the same amount in Korea for just 3,000 yen.
Because rice is a regulated agricultural product, she had to clear quarantine at Incheon International Airport. She filled out documents and received a plant export certificate once her Japanese address was confirmed. The entire process took around 30 minutes.
While paperwork was easy, she said carrying 10 kilograms of rice was the hardest part. She compared it to muscle training. Her post resonated with others, as more Japanese tourists buy rice during visits to Korea.
According to airport quarantine officials, the number of certificates for rice exports to Japan surged. In March alone, 119 certificates were issued—a twentyfold increase from last year.
This trend reflects Japan’s ongoing rice crisis. Extreme weather last summer reduced the harvest. At the same time, panic buying and demand from tourists worsened shortages, especially in cities.
Rice prices in Japan jumped 92.1 percent in March year-over-year. This is the highest increase since 1971. Even after releasing rice reserves twice, the Japanese government failed to ease the surge.
Meanwhile, Korea plans to export 22 tons of rice to Japan, its largest shipment since 1990. As the crisis continues, Japanese tourists buy rice abroad to beat the rising prices at home.
