The Japanese government is considering an early release of its rice reserves to address continuous price surges, farm minister Taku Eto said on Friday.
A survey conducted by Teikoku Databank covering 195 major food manufacturers in Japan recently revealed that 1,656 food items will see price increases in February, following a similar trend in January.
The research company warns that with rice prices continuing to soar, related food products are also expected to see price hikes, and significant price increases will likely continue at least until summer.
A traditional rice shop located in Tokyo's Shibuya district has been in business for over a century and offers 14 different varieties of rice sourced from Niigata, Miyagi, Nagano, and other regions.
The shop owner noted that wholesale prices have risen sharply, leading to an overall increase in retail prices across all brands. For instance, a variety from Chiba Prefecture is now selling for 760 yen (about 5 U.S. dollars) per kilogram, double the price compared with the same period last year.
On Friday, Taku Eto, head of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said the Japanese government plans to expedite the release of its stockpiled rice to curb soaring prices, with details on the quantity and pricing to be released as early as next week.
If the measure is implemented, it would mark the first ever release of reserves of the Japanese staple for the purpose of alleviating distribution shortages, with the move possibly leading to lower prices.
Last summer, Japan experienced widespread rice shortages, driving up prices. Some local governments and consumers urged the central government to release its rice reserves. However, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries remained cautious, saying that prices would gradually stabilize as the new rice harvest entered the market.
Despite a year-on-year increase of approximately 180,000 tons in last year's new rice production, prices have continued to rise, sparking public discontent. According to Japanese media, the ministry suspects possible hoarding within the distribution channels and has since adjusted its stance, now planning to release rice from government reserves.
Japanese gov't considers releasing reserves as rice prices continue to soar
Japanese gov't considers releasing reserves as rice prices continue to soar
An innovative, China-developed intelligent caisson robot has played a crucial role in completing the main structure of the Changtai Yangtze River Bridge in east China's Jiangsu Province, with its key ability to see in muddy water allowing more real-time monitoring and flexible drilling.
This advanced technology has significantly shortened the time required to construct the underwater foundation work needed for this project, which is designed to become the world's largest span cable-stayed bridge.
Due to the bridge's unique construction requirements, traditional drilling methods were inadequate for meeting the load-bearing demands of the main tower. The bridge's foundation differs from conventional suspension bridges; its main tower caissons are located within the river.
Employing cylindrical caissons, each weighing 23,000 tons, more than three times the weight of the Eiffel Tower, and covering an area equivalent to 13 basketball courts, these underwater caissons represent the world's largest underwater foundation.
Measuring 5.9 meters in length and 3.6 meters in height, the intelligent caisson robot, designed as China's first of its kind, operates underwater like a small truck. This pioneering robot ensures stability in anchoring even the most enormous underwater caissons.
To achieve uniform soil extraction in underwater visualization so that the giant caisson can take root smoothly in the water, the engineering construction team spent two years developing this smart caisson robotics system.
"This robot has realized one of its biggest difference-making functions: its ability to see underwater. With sonar and high-definition cameras for deep and muddy water, it operates underwater with real-time visual monitoring and adjustment," said Yang Le, director of large equipment department under China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Bureau Group Co., Ltd., responsible for the project construction.
Once deployed, the operator can adjust the robot's position using built-in range-finders and monitoring devices to its best working status.
"The drill in front has two functions: crush and absorb. By rotating the drill, the soil of various kinds is crushed and carried away by pipelines. Above the drill head is an 18-mega-pascal high-pressure water jet, which can break through hard soil layers and extract debris before suction. We also have a 380-cubic-meter-per-hour suction pump to remove sediment at an operation rate of 200 cubic meters per hour," Yang said.
The robotic arm's 360-degree mobility ensures even sediment extraction, which is critical for stabilizing the 300-meter caissons.
The robot also revolutionized underwater sediment removal, addressing risks of uneven excavation and tilt in traditional open caisson construction using air suction machines, which were also labor-intensive.
"In the past, soil extraction during caisson construction relied on vertical conduits and air suction methods. We could only rely on our experience, and such traditional ways are prone to uneven excavation and tilt of caissons," said Yang.
With the help of intelligent caisson robots, the construction team completed excavating and sinking the main tower caissons for the bridge two months ahead of schedule, ensuring that the main tower is more stable and securely anchored.
"Previous regular mud suction equipment required six workers per shift to move 40 cubic meters of sediment hourly. This robot only takes one man to operate in the operation room to increase the mud suction amount to 200 cubic meters per hour. That is four to six times faster," Yang said.
The Changtai Yangtze River Bridge is expected to open to traffic this year, reducing travel time between Changzhou and Taizhou to just 20 minutes.
China-developed robot helps construct giant bridge in muddy water
China-developed robot helps construct giant bridge in muddy water
