On 27 July, Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) released its fiscal 2025 data on rice consumption by foreign visitors to Japan, and the results revealed that foreign tourists are eating significantly more rice than anticipated. Topping the list for rice consumption was Vietnam, at 718 grams, followed by Indonesia (714 grams), the Philippines (695 grams), and Thailand (629 grams). That means the average foreign visitor eats around 70 percent more rice for each day of their stay than the average Japanese resident. While poor harvests linked to extreme heat were a major factor, record numbers of foreign visitors that year also raised questions about whether tourism demand had been underestimated. Following the shortage, the government decided to look into foreign visitor consumption, as it was something that hadn’t previously been considered.