Foreign News: Bitter Rice

After floods, typhoons and the wettest summer in 50 years, Japan measured her rice crop last week and found it 2,000,000 tons short. The Ministry of Agriculture's verdict: the worst crop in twelve years. Japan, which even in good years must import rice (mainly from Siam), will be able to buy only about 1,000,000 tons, since prices are so high ($213 a ton) and most rice-surplus countries are lagging behind their prewar production.

During the occupation, many Japanese tried the newfangled idea of eating bread for breakfast instead of rice, but are now returning to rice, claiming that bread did not fill...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!