U.S. Rice Exhibit Goes Against the Grain in Japan

TOKYO — A U.S. agricultural group removed a display of American rice from a food exhibit Saturday after officials threatened to arrest the group for violating Japan’s restrictions on rice imports.

Japan’s Foreign Ministry warned the U.S. Embassy that the exhibitors, the U.S. Rice Millers’ Assn., would be jailed because the Food Control Law bans nearly all commercial imports of rice.

“Having now been threatened with arrest, we will remove the rice . . . to help publicize this very regrettable behavior by the Japanese government,” said David Graves, association president.

Japanese officials say restrictions on imports of the staple grain are needed to protect Japanese rice farmers and guarantee food security, and that even displaying foreign rice violates the law.

“We are deeply disappointed with the Americans’ disregard for our rules,” said an agriculture ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “The exhibition itself is to promote business and exports, so the rice clearly was in violation of our laws.”

USA Rice Council Vice President Jim Willis said: “It is ridiculous that Japan’s 10-million-ton rice industry should feel threatened by 10 pounds of American rice in a plastic display case.”