Although Japan is famous for its rice, why did it not offer it to Trump during his visit?

He raised the lunch served to US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi During their meeting in Tokyo, there was widespread controversy in Japan, as Japanese rice was absent from the menu.

Instead, the two leaders ate American beef and rice.

In Japan, rice is not just a food, it is part of the nation’s identity. Many Japanese people are proud With their rice Local.

Offering American rice may be seen as a gesture to curry favor with Trump, who has long urged Japan to buy more of it. He even threatened to impose higher tariffs on Japanese exports of this staple food, accusing Japan of refusing to buy American-grown rice.

Trump wrote on Truth SocialLast June: “They will not accept With our riceHowever, they suffer from a severe rice shortage. In other words, we will be sending them a message, and we look forward to them being a business partner for many years to come.”

It is worth noting that Japan is suffering from a rice shortage, and prices reached record levels earlier this year, prompting the government to use emergency reserves and import more foreign rice – despite the hesitation of many customers to buy it.