Storyline: Rice prices in Japan continued to break new records with the average retail price for five kilograms of rice exceeding 4,000 yen (25.74 U.S. dollars) for 13 consecutive weeks, according to the data released by the Japanese government on Friday. According to the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' survey involving about 1,000 supermarkets nationwide, the average price for a five-kilogram bag of rice reached 4,335 yen during the week ending on November 30, an increase of 23 yen compared to the previous week, surpassing the record high of 4,316 yen set in early November. Starting in the summer of 2024, rice prices in Japan have continued to rise due to factors such as poor harvests caused by extreme heat. After Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office in October, newly-appointed Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Norikazu Suzuki opposed releasing reserve rice into the market. He instead proposed to distribute rice coupons to specific groups such as low-income households. Some cities have already begun issuing these coupons. In certain regions, however, the labor and postage costs involved in the procedure exceed the coupons' face value, raising questions about the practice's effectiveness. With skyrocketing rice prices, many Japanese people can no longer afford the essential staple food, and they are forced to switch to cheaper alternatives like bread, noodles and other wheat-based food. Shotlist: FILE: Tokyo, Japan - 2025: 1. Various of Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries entrance, sign Tokyo, Japan - November 2025: 2. Various of customers in grocery store, bags of rice for sale 3. Various of people in restaurant, man eating rice 4. Various of rice being harvested FILE: Japan - Date Unknown: 5. Various of hands holding rice, bags of rice in warehouse 6. Various of rice paddy [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]