Hannah Kirshner

Rice shortage shines spotlight on Japan’s agricultural policy

Japan in Focus

A recent shortage of rice on supermarket shelves in Japan has been pinned on the large number of tourists visiting the country as well as hot weather exacerbated by climate change. But farmers and agricultural analysts say there’s something else at play — a decades-old government program that pays farmers not to plant rice.

In rural Japan, a closed school becomes a new kind of community hub

Japan in Focus

The precarious state of green tea in Japan

Japan in Focus

Lacquerware artisans are still displaced by earthquake in Japan

Japan in Focus