Emergency reserves, high prices, rationing. How did Japan's rice crisis get this far?

Rice is essential to Japanese culture, tradition and politics. People take pride in the oval-shaped sticky Japonica grain which is still a staple even though total consumption has fallen over the decades. But prices have soared since last summer as supplies have fallen short of demand. The government has long paid farmers to cut back on rice acreage and change to other crops to keep prices relatively high. The government has released rice reserves to cope with shortfalls this year. But the grain has been slow to reach supermarket shelves. That's left consumers frustrated and wondering where's the rice?