\n<\/p>\n
The results of a rare, closely watched auction in Japan that ended this week are about to be released. But there were no paintings or antique cars on the auction block.<\/p>\n
The government is selling 165,000 tons of rice \u2014 equivalent to roughly two billion bowls \u2014 from its emergency stockpile to make up for over 200,000 tons that some Japanese news media say have \u201cdisappeared.\u201d<\/p>\n
But there\u2019s more to the story.<\/p>\n
Japan doesn\u2019t have enough rice, a pillar of its diet. A shortage forced supermarkets to implement buying limits, and soaring prices have driven restaurants to hike prices of everyday food. Things have gotten so dire that, for the first time, the government is tapping its emergency stockpile in an effort to drive down prices.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething truly unthinkable is happening, so we must return the current abnormal situation to normal,\u201d Taku Eto, the agriculture minister, told reporters last month, referring to the crisis and the three-day auction that ended on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n