Rice riots of 1918
A very large rise in the price of rice caused very bad economic (money) problems, especially in rural areas (outside of cities) where rice was the main food of daily life for the people. Farmers, became angry at the government (who set the amount of money made by the farmers) and the rice merchants when they learned that they were making much less money for growing the rice than it was being sold for to the public. They blamed the government and the merchants for letting the price of rice rise so high. The rise in the price of rice happened just at the worst point in the rapid rise in prices in many things such as food and rents that was happening just after World War I. This caused problems for the people of Japan. The Siberian Intervention made things worse because the government themselves bought lots of rice to feed their soldiers who were outside of Japan. This made the price of rice rise even more. The government did not do anything to stop it, and it spread to the towns and cities.