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It’s not the virus that poses a risk to Japan’s food supply. It’s the panic-buying.

By on April 3, 2020

Rumors of a lockdown after the fiscal year ends on March 31st, are driving shoppers to hoard food.

The dramatic shift to frantic shopping resulting in empty store shelves has sparked another rumor that Japan’s food supply may be in danger.

While it is true that coronavirus cases in Tokyo is increasing and things are moving so rapidly that one is hard-pressed to predict what lies ahead, the Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike has re-assured Tokyo residents that there is enough food for everyone.

On Saturday last week, the media reported that places with a large number of coronavirus infections would come under a 21-day lockdown if Prime Minister Abe declares a state of emergency. On Monday, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga dispelled such rumors. He said Tokyo’s infection case counts have not reached the number required to justify a state of emergency.

People don’t listen. Panicked shoppers continue to strip stores of food in amounts that will sustain them for what they believe to be a long period. As a result, food staples like pasta, noodles, canned foods and toilet paper, etc.. are continuously disappearing from store shelves faster than they’re supposed to.

The supply chain needed to meet the demands of foods and products follow a fixed ordering schedule. In the case of Tokyo supermarkets, production schedules are matched to the average ordering amount so their stocks don’t sit in warehouses.

If panic buyers walk into a store and buy 4-5 times more than they need, they are disrupting the food supply system as the store will be without stock for days. The next shopper will have to wait until the following scheduled delivery which, depending on the store’s ordering pattern, could take days or weeks.

At times like this, we absolutely need to be looking out for elders, other families in our community, and not disrupt our food supply system. Please buy only what you need.

 

About Stefania Wasllewsky