Blizzardboy | A Kiwi in Japan

News is going around the Japanese blogosphere, and has been on Yahoo.co.jp, that Japanese supermarket chain Hanamasa will close 47 stores throughout Japan by the 12th of February. The company has 102 stores, mostly in the greater Tokyo metropolitan area.

The major reason for the closures cited by Hanamasa President Mr. Onno is the perceived safety risks associated with the chains predominantly Chinese sourced products. Increased transport costs have also been given as a reason for the closures. Although not mentioned, the gradually rising costs of products from China, coupled with the weak yen must also have been factors in the decision.

Hanamasa was a supermarket we used quite frequently, and its closure will be a loss for our area, as the remainder of supermarkets in the Azabujuban area tend to cater to the more wealthier ends of the market. I don’t mind buying products from brands such as Hanamasa when all that differs from comparable products is the packaging.

The president of Hanamasa also stated that this wasn’t related to the food poisoning caused by imported gyouza, how ever that incident would have reinforced the necessity for the closures.

In some ways this is a promising sign for the Japanese economy - the current distrust of Chinese products should see more consumers purchasing locally produced products and thus infusing local markets with higher cash inputs. This coupled with rising prices in many product lines should also see improvements in profit margins for Japanese producers in the mid-term which in turn will have more of a stimulating effect on the economy than Japan’s low interest rate mania has proved to.

But I will miss cheap raspberry jam!

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