According to Japanese media reports on the 10th, against the backdrop of a continuous high of rice prices, rice unexpectedly became a popular gift for Mother's Day in Japan. Many consumers say that compared with common flowers and cakes, rice is more practical and is a good choice for mothers.

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According to Japanese media reports, a shop selling gift rice in Nishimiya City, Hyogo Prefecture said that on the eve of Mother's Day this year, the number of customers who came to buy rice to give to their mothers surged, with sales of about twice the same period last year. In some shopping malls and shopping websites, rice is also on the list of "Mother's Day Recommended Gifts", with sales increasing compared with previous years. Staff at an Osaka mall said giving rice on Mother's Day is the new trend this year, which shows that consumers are beginning to value the practicality of gifts.

Since the summer of 2024, due to factors such as extreme high temperatures, the price of rice has continued to rise. The latest statistics released by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan show that the average price of a bag of 5 kilograms of rice in the Japanese market is 4,233 yen (about 211 yuan), setting a new high for 17 consecutive weeks. Faced with the rising rice prices, the Japanese government has auctioned three batches of reserve rice since March, but the rising trend of rice prices has not been effectively curbed. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on the 8th that government departments should take countermeasures with a "sense of speed and crisis" so that people can buy affordable rice.