Why do Japanese people no longer love eating rice?, "Bread is much more convenient" Bread | Rice | Main Food Controversy | Japan

In the eyes of many people, Japanese people have a special obsession with white rice. Not only does rice dominate the staple food market in Japan, but Japanese culture also has an inseparable connection with rice. However, the outside world has noticed that in recent decades, Japan's rice consumption has been decreasing year by year. According to The Guardian on July 10th, rice is losing out to cheaper and more convenient alternatives in this "staple food battle". Why do Japanese people no longer love eating rice?

The status of rice is being challenged

Most culinary cultures around the world are established on the most common cereal crops, such as wheat in Europe, corn in South America, and rice in Asia.

Like other Asian countries, rice has been a part of Japanese culinary culture for nearly 3000 years. During the Japanese Somon period, rice cultivation techniques were reportedly introduced to Japan from southern China or the Korean Peninsula, and then spread all the way from the Ryukyu Islands to other regions. Since then, rice cultivation has taken root in Japan.

The Japanese people's admiration for rice is also impressive.

The nickname "Mizuho Kingdom" in Japan means "rice, green, and full", used to describe the scene of a bountiful harvest. There is an ancient Japanese saying that goes "there are seven gods on a grain of rice", used to teach children not to waste rice, and to eat every bowl of rice clean and tidy. It is said that more than 30000 shrines in Japan are dedicated to the Inari deity. The world's first rice cooker was also born in Japan and has since entered every household around the world.

However, in recent years, rice's dominant position in the Japanese staple food industry has been challenged.

A recent survey conducted by Japanese rice distributor Makino Corporation showed that among approximately 1000 respondents, 84.8% said they eat rice every day, but 68.1% of respondents said they only eat rice once a day, and only 16.7% said they eat rice for all three meals.

According to statistics from the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the average annual rice consumption of Japanese people reached its peak in 1962, with an average of 118.3 kilograms of rice consumed per person per year. But since then, it has been decreasing year by year, with each person consuming only 50.8 kilograms of rice per year by 2020, less than half of the previous amount. Based on a bowl of rice weighing 60 grams, in 1962, each person in Japan ate approximately 5.4 bowls of rice per day, but in 2020, the average person only ate 2.3 bowls per day.

By comparison, as early as 2011, Japanese households had already spent more on bread than rice. In 2017, Japan also imported a record 130000 tons of pasta from Italy, Türkiye and other places.

Why do Japanese people no longer love eating rice?

In Japan, no longer eating rice has become a trend, known as "staying away from rice". What has driven this trend?

The public opinion believes that Japan's trend of "removing rice" has actually sown seeds since the highly growing Japanese economy after World War II. With the economic takeoff, Japanese people's choices have become more diverse, and more people are turning to staple foods made from wheat such as bread, pasta, and noodles. At that time, the Japanese government also encouraged people to adapt to a more Western dietary culture and consume more meat and dairy products.

Secondly, the changes in Japanese lifestyle habits have greatly reduced the attractiveness of rice.

"Eating bread is much more convenient, especially in the morning," said Kaneda Qihai, who lives in Tokyo, Japan. In the past, classic Japanese breakfasts typically included rice, grilled fish, miso soup, and pickled vegetables, but now more Japanese people are switching to toasted bread and boiled eggs. Wangtian said that preparing a Japanese breakfast may take an hour because it takes at least 30 minutes to cook.

The Guardian also believes that with the increasing pressure from work and family in Japan, as well as more and more people choosing to live alone, people are no longer loyal to rice, but instead choose more convenient and fast bread, noodles, etc.

In addition, the "sugar control" diet that has emerged in Japan and around the world has also made people stay away from "refined carbon water" such as rice.

In recent years, many people have proposed to eat less white rice in order to limit sugar content. If you eat too much rice, the risk of diabetes and obesity may increase. But some researchers have also pointed out that rice not only provides abundant carbohydrates, but also contains protein and dietary fiber. Therefore, there is no need to completely say no to rice, but it is possible to add some brown rice, coarse grains, miscellaneous beans, etc. to the rice appropriately.

Furthermore, analysis suggests that Japan's declining birth rate and aging population, as well as a decrease in per capita intake, have also led to a trend of "no rice". The author of "Tokyo Food Sake", Yukio Sakamoto, stated that in Japan, rice is not cheap, so more people may only be able to afford bread or noodles.

Can the trend be reversed?

As Japan's rice consumption continues to decline year by year, coupled with a reduction in the planting area of edible rice, the Japanese government is attempting to reverse this trend.

In recent years, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has started advocating for students to eat more rice during school lunches and continuously promoting information about the health benefits of rice.

The Japanese government has also increased its publicity efforts to promote rice flour as a gluten free and healthy substitute for wheat flour, which has also given rise to a series of derivative foods such as rice bread.

In addition, more and more rice producers are also turning their attention overseas, attempting to leverage external interest in Japanese cuisine to promote Japanese rice overseas. It is reported that Japan's rice exports have increased from 4515 tons in 2014 to 22800 tons in 2021, a fourfold increase in seven years.

However, this total export only accounts for less than 0.5% of Japan's domestic rice production. Industry insiders believe that relying on exports may be difficult to reverse the downward trend in rice consumption.

Some people believe that perhaps Japan should change its traditional concept of rice.

Due to his love for rice, Gongshi Horie planted a small piece of rice at his home in a rural area of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. But compared to the crystal clear white rice, what he eats is brown rice that retains the rough outer layer. "My diet is basically still dominated by rice, but I look forward to the day when people no longer see rice as a big bowl of cooked white rice," Horie said.