Extreme weather is becoming increasingly frequent, and Japan is developing heat-resistant rice to prevent rice supply shortages. Last year's extreme weather reduced Japan's rice harvest, and as global extreme weather becomes more frequent due to climate change, Japan has begun to develop new heat-resistant rice varieties in an attempt to avoid future supply shortages. According to official data from Japan, the high temperatures and drought last summer led to a reduction in production in the country's main rice producing areas, as well as damage to food quality, resulting in rice inventories dropping to their lowest level in 25 years. In June of this year, Japan's private rice inventory was 1.56 million tons, the lowest end of season inventory since comparable data was first collected in 1999.