Even before the war ended, there had been signs of economic distress
within Japan. While the profits from the war boom were going into the
pockets of a small group, a sharp rise in the cost of living had caused
suffering among the masses of the people. Speculators were profiteering
in rice, which soared from 20 or 25 yen to more than 50 yen on the
five-bushel unit. In the summer of 1918 there were serious “rice
riots,” and troops were called out to suppress the demonstrations.
During the war, moreover, trade union and socialist ideas had taken
root in Japan, paving the way for the growth of labor unions and
left-wing parties in the post-war years.