By Alimat Aliyeva

Prices for the main product of the Japanese diet – rice in Tokyo in October increased by 62.3% year-on-year. This is the highest figure since 1971, Azernews reports.

It has risen in price by an average of about 1.5 times compared to last year's prices. This is due to the increase in fertilizer prices and labor costs.

In August and September, there was a shortage of rice in Tokyo stores, which simply disappeared from store shelves. At first, this was explained by the high demand for rice and other products amid warnings of a possible earthquake in the Nankai fault area, then by a poor harvest.