Home-grown rice is a key part of Japanese culture, identity and politics, dating back thousands of years.
So much so that any disruption can spark a wave of consumer anger, reaching even the highest echelons of power. But as the country grapples with a shortage of the grain, locals are asking whether it’s finally time to learn to love the imported version.
Reged Ahmad speaks to the Guardian’s Japan and Korea correspondent, Justin McCurry, in Osaka.