Rice riots of 1918

The rice riots of 1918 (米騒動, kome sōdō) were a series of popular disturbances that swept across Japan from July to September 1918. Lasting for over eight weeks, the riots were the largest, most widespread, and most violent popular uprising in modern Japanese history, ultimately leading to the collapse of the Terauchi Masatake administration. The disturbances began in the small fishing town of Uozu in Toyama Prefecture and spread to more than 400 locations, including 38 cities, 153 towns, and 177 villages, involving an estimated 700,000 to 10 million participants. The riots marked a new level of labor assertiveness and were described by a Home Ministry report at the time as a "crisis in relations between Labor and Capital".

The immediate cause of the riots was the sharp increase in the price of rice and other commodities following the economic boom of World War I. While a small segment of the population prospered, widespread inflation caused severe economic hardship for both urban and rural consumers. Public anger grew as government attempts to regulate prices proved ineffective, leading to accusations of collusion between officials and profiteering merchants. The nature of the protests varied significantly by region: the initial coastal riots in Toyama were largely non-violent appeals to community norms, while the subsequent urban riots in major cities like Nagoya, Osaka, and Tokyo were more politically charged and violent. A third wave of disturbances in the coalfields took the form of organized labor disputes.

The Terauchi government responded with a "candy and whip" policy of harsh suppression and palliative relief. Over 100,000 troops were deployed to quell the unrest, resulting in dozens of civilian deaths and over 25,000 arrests. Simultaneously, the government established a national relief fund and organized the distribution of subsidized rice, though these measures were often criticized as inadequate.

In the aftermath of the riots, the Terauchi government resigned, paving the way for the appointment of Hara Takashi as the first commoner prime minister and the establishment of the first stable party-led cabinets in Japanese history. The events spurred significant policy reforms in food supply management, colonial agriculture, and social welfare. The riots also served as a major catalyst for the social and political movements of Taishō-era Japan, galvanizing the labor union movement, tenant farmer associations, and campaigns for the rights of women and the burakumin.