An increasing number of Japanese traveling abroad are bringing rice back home recently amid soaring prices of the staple food in the country.



Plant quarantine officials are calling on people to be aware that inspection certificates are required to bring foreign rice into Japan.



The agriculture ministry said its survey shows the average price for a 5-kilogram bag of rice was 4,217 yen, or about 30 dollars, for the week through April 13. The price was more than double from the year before.



Quarantine officials at Narita Airport near Tokyo said an increasing number of Japanese travelers to Asian countries, such as India and Thailand, began bringing back into Japan rice they bought overseas around summer last year.



They said the number of such tourists started to rapidly increase around March of this year.



The number of people bringing in rice from South Korea has also been rising recently. Many reportedly bring back 5 kilograms to 10 kilograms of rice.



But when individuals wish to import polished rice into Japan, they need to obtain in advance certificates issued by government organizations of export countries and have the rice inspected upon entry.



A large number of people are expected to travel abroad during the spring vacation period, which starts April 26. An official of the plant quarantine center at Narita Airport is urging people traveling overseas to make sure to obtain the certificates if they plan to bring rice into Japan.