Editorial

14:30 JST, December 13, 2025

The “rice coupons” that the central government recommends local governments provide are a completely 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........

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