Fears of a super-earthquake, along with a series of storms and a week-long national holiday, have caused Japanese people to rush to buy rice - the country's staple food, according to AFP.
On August 27, the Japanese government warned about panic buying of rice by people in this country.
"We could only buy half the amount of rice we normally buy, and bags of rice sold out quickly," an employee at a branch of the famous Fresco supermarket chain in Tokyo told AFP.
Rice shelves at some stores were empty after a government warning earlier this month - although this has since been removed - about the possibility of a "massive earthquake " , along with multiple storms and the annual Obon holiday.
A number of other factors also contributed to the increase, including lower rice harvests due to hot weather and water shortages, along with increased demand due to record numbers of foreign visitors.
Some stores in Tokyo have even posted signs asking each family to buy only one bag of rice per day.
