见证历史！暴涨98.4%！日本，突发！

Core Viewpoint - Japan's consumer price index (excluding fresh food) rose by 3.5% year-on-year in April, with rice prices surging by 98.4%, marking the highest increase since 1971, prompting speculation about potential interest rate hikes by the Bank of Japan [1][3]. Economic Data - The consumer price index (CPI) for April was reported at 110.9, up from 3.2% in March to 3.5% [3]. - Rice prices have increased significantly, with a 10 kg bag rising from 2000 yen to over 4000 yen, averaging 4268 yen (approximately 214 RMB) as of May 11 [1][3]. Government Response - The Japanese government initially took a wait-and-see approach to rising rice prices but began releasing reserve rice in March, which has not effectively curbed price increases [3]. - Former Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Takumi Eto, resigned amid criticism over his handling of the rice price crisis [4][5]. International Relations - Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba discussed U.S. tariff measures with President Trump, agreeing to meet during the G7 summit in June [1][7]. - Japan is considering increasing rice imports from the U.S. as a bargaining chip in tariff negotiations, facing opposition from domestic farmers [8][9].