August 3, 1918 The Japanese rice-grabbing riots begin

August 3, 1918 The Japanese rice-grabbing riots begin

　　On August 3, 1918, the rice-snatching riots (also known as the rice grain riots and rice riots) first broke out in Toyama Prefecture, Japan.　　In 1918, Japan's domestic inflation remained high, and the price of rice remained high. In August of the same year, due to the government's decision to send troops to Siberia and interfere in the Soviet Revolution, it ordered a large number of military grains to be collected, and rice merchants took the opportunity to raise the price of rice, making it more and more difficult for the working people to live. On August 3, nearly 200 housewives in Nishimizubashi, Chusinkawa-gun, Toyama Prefecture, demonstrated to demand a reduction in the price of rice and rushed into rice shops to grab rice, setting off a revolt. In June, more than 1,000 residents of Dong and Nishimizubashi and The town of Shuichuan used their strength to prevent the export of rice, forcing the town authorities to reduce the price of rice. After being reported by the press, the impact was strong. By August 14, the rice storm spread to large and medium-sized cities such as Nagoya, Kyoto, and Osaka. The masses attacked rice merchants, fought with the military police who came to suppress them, and the rice-snatching riot reached a climax. On August 17, riots spread to various towns and villages, and workers and miners such as the Yamaguchi Prefectural Coal Mine responded with armed strikes. By September 13, the riots had swept through 37 cities, 134 towns, and 139 villages, with more than 700,000 participants.　　The police were ineffective, and the government dispatched more than 57,000 troops to suppress them. On September 17, the rice-snatching riots subsided, with more than 20,000 arrests and 7,708 indicted. However, the cabinet of warlord Masatoshi Terauchi collapsed due to the blow, and the mass struggle showed great power.