1. A survey shows Japan’s growers and wholesalers expect rice prices to drop over the next three months as government stockpiles have been released into the market. The price outlook index as of June fell by the most on record. The Rice Stable Supply Support Organization released the findings of its June survey on Friday. The index on the outlook for the next three months dropped by 24 points from a month earlier to 35, on a zero to 100 scale. The margin of decline was the largest since the survey began in 2012.
2. Early voting began across Japan on Friday for the Upper House election on July 20. Official campaigning for the election kicked off on Thursday. A total of 522 people are running in the election – either those competing in electoral districts or running under the proportional representation system. Key election issues include how to tackle rising prices and the future of social security. Polling stations set up by municipalities are basically open from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
3. Residents of an island in Japan’s Kagoshima Prefecture have begun evacuating amid a series of earthquakes. The Japan Meteorological Agency sys Thursday’s lower-6 quake is the first with such an intensity to be recorded in the village of Toshima since comparable data became available in 1919.