A company in northeastern Japan that bought rice from government stockpiles shipped the crop to Tokyo by Shinkansen bullet train.



The unit of household goods maker Iris Ohyama loaded 1 ton of the grain in 5-kilogram bags onto the train at Sendai Station on Tuesday.



The bags were sold at an event space in Tokyo Station for 2,160 yen, or about 15 dollars, to customers who had pre-ordered.



One man buying rice said, "I've been eating rice priced at 2,000 yen for 2 kilograms. So this is the same price for 5 kilos. It's much cheaper."



East Japan Railway says its Shinkansen can provide a fast way for companies in rural areas that want to ship rice to stores in cities.