Notably, the new law has removed provisions on "production adjustment," which were seen as a consequence of the long-standing policy of reducing rice cultivation area.
The most important highlight of the amended law is the requirement for large private companies to maintain inventory to quickly supply the retail market in the event of shortages.
The Japanese government has set a safe national rice reserve level of 1 million tons, with private companies being responsible for securing approximately 200,000 tons.
The National People's Congress also issued a supplementary resolution requiring a more even distribution of rice storage facilities nationwide. Previously, the concentration of too many storage facilities in eastern Japan had led to supply chain delays for western Japan.
To prevent future shortage crises, the government requires rice farmers to regularly report their inventory levels and transaction prices.
Authorities have also expanded the scope of this regulation to include many other food businesses, instead of limiting it to wholesalers and transporters only.
This adjustment marks a significant departure from the commitment to boost production to stabilize prices that former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba made less than a year ago.
However, analysts suggest that, in reality, the cabinet of current Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is secretly maintaining a policy of controlling production to protect the interests of farmers.
Japanese authorities have stepped up their strategy to restructure national food policy following a rice shortage crisis that erupted in the summer of 2024, which caused prices of this essential commodity to skyrocket. At that time, Tokyo had to release a large portion of its emergency reserves to intervene in the market.
In May 2026, a government white paper officially acknowledged that officials had overestimated supply and reacted slowly in releasing reserves.