The government will release up to 210,000 tons of its stockpiled rice, farm minister Taku Eto said Friday, in a bid to ensure smooth

The Japanese government heavily regulates the country’s rice market and imposes significant tariffs on imports.

The Japanese government said Friday it will release its stockpile of rice — the nation’s cherished staple food — reserved for emergency use in response to soaring prices. The government has tapped into its rice reserves in the past during emergencies such as major earthquakes,