What is Rice riots of 1918?
[[File:Suzuki Shoten burnt out.jpg |right |thumb|250px|Suzuki Shoten in Kobe, burned during the Rice Riots of August 11, 1918]] The '''{{nihongo|Rice Riots of 1918|米騒動|kome sōdō}}''' were riots where many of the [[citizen]]s of [[Japan]] became upset and [[rebel|rebelled]] against the [[government]]. This happened between July 1918 to September 1918. They caused the ending of the [[Terauchi Masatake]] government. == Causes == A very large [[Inflation|rise in the price]] of [[rice]] caused very bad [[Economics|economic]] ''(money)'' problems, especially in [[rural]] areas ''(outside of [[City|cities]])'' where rice was the main food of daily life for the people.<ref name=economic/> [[Farmer]]s, became angry at the government (who set the amount of money made by the farmers) and the rice [[merchant]]s when they learned that they were making much less money for growing the rice than it was being sold for to the [[:wikt:public|public]].<ref name=economic/> They [[:wikt:blame|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 [[Renting|rents]] that was happening just after [[World War I]]. This caused problems for the people of Japan.<ref name=economic/> The [[Siberian Intervention]] made things worse because the government themselves bought lots of rice to feed their [[soldier]]s 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 [[town]]s and cities. <ref name=economic/> == The riots == The Rice Riots were the biggest, most [[Violence|violent]] and widespread in modern Japanese history. The first [[protest]] happened in the small fishing town of [[Uozu, Toyama|Uozu]] in [[Toyama Prefecture]], on 23 July 1918. Starting with [[:wikt:peaceful|peaceful]] [[petition]]ing, the protest quickly grew into [[riot]]s, [[Strike action|strikes]], [[looting]], [[incendiary bomb]]ings of