Typhoons that hit Hokkaido last August have resulted in a domestic spud shortage for Japan. Know what fewer potatoes means? Fewer potato chips. And like that, the panic buying has begun.
According to Jiji, Japanese snack companies Calbee and Koikeya are ceasing the sale of numerous potato chip products because of this shortage. Japan Today reports that starting April 15, Calbee will no longer ship 18 potato chip snack varieties, and from April 22, it will temporarily suspend 15 more varieties, including its Big Bag Lightly Salted, which might be the country’s most iconic potato chip.
Calbee was hoping to use American imports during the shortage, but apparently cannot meet demand. Japan Today adds that Calbee also said American potatoes aren’t up to snuff quality-wise. Koikeya, meanwhile, is temporarily discontinuing nine of its potato chip varieties, citing the fact the company uses 100 percent Japanese spuds.
Not all potato chips are disappearing from Japan. However, because the sale of certain popular varieties are either ceasing or stopping temporarily, stock is already vanishing from certain store shelves.
Note: This isn’t happening everywhere (for example, as of earlier today, this store and this one seem to be stocked), and like I said, it’s not happening to all types of chips. The brand that appears to be hit hardest is Pizza Potato, which is one of the varieties Calbee will no longer make.
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852045820031451137
End of an era #pizzapotato #ピザポテト販売休止 #ピザポテト pic.twitter.com/n9sqKJJgdm
— GTC (@Tekitou_jp) April 12, 2017
そうなるよね。#ピザポテト pic.twitter.com/cft0KlE4kh
— わたなべ だいすけ D.W.ニコルズ (@emperor_DW) April 10, 2017
Like clockwork, bags of Pizza Potato are also appearing on Japanese internet auction sites.
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852098935061663744
I went to five different stores tonight in Osaka, and I can confirm that, yes, specific varieties impacted by this are in short supply, if not selling out.
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852127223708401664
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852112183240515586
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852109762929897472
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852105155386277890
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852105058829254656
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852114590724833280
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852113493289451520
ポテチ販売停止するんか、、、
それに備える姉の食い意地やばすぎ汗 pic.twitter.com/X3auNCYmVG— 嶋田 稔也 (@Aso1048) April 12, 2017
As you can see some people are buying lots of these endangered varieties.
とりあえずポテチのビッグパックを買ってきた。あと数日で市場から消えそうな勢い… 皆さんもお早めに pic.twitter.com/iR6g91FIUC
— たぼ@新たなるステージへ (@talbot_1977) April 12, 2017
Or recommending that you buy before they’re gone.
Here are photos of the situation from across the country. Some stores are cleaned out.
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852128135235620864
ポテチが消えてゆく pic.twitter.com/wPpgy2WP16
— tm (@tokky03121207) April 12, 2017
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852128375040745472
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852126886700371968
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852126380888174592
ポテチごっそり売り切れﾜﾛﾀｗ pic.twitter.com/R2Rq85xn96
— ぷか (@kf0114) April 12, 2017
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852125127189725184
お菓子売場のポテトチップスの棚がスカスカ(･･;) pic.twitter.com/2QiFnLohmo
— こ〜じちゅう (@kou993ruf_thr) April 12, 2017
ポテチが……。マジか！ pic.twitter.com/RViaySnRgp
— はじめちゃん (はじ坊) (@hajimechan25252) April 12, 2017
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852105177209257984
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852083437066362880
ポテトチップスが消えた(笑) pic.twitter.com/HtF5GpeIGl
— キチャマ (@sasumarukoteki1) April 12, 2017
もう販売休止のポテチどこにもなさそう pic.twitter.com/c6pWWCsSbt
— うっちー (@uchida_suzuki) April 12, 2017
あぁああぁあ、ポテチが() pic.twitter.com/mPmYOEGCSP
— ⚖法律系Vじゃこにゃー(ディレッタント)⚖動画クリエイター (@Jakotsunya) April 12, 2017
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852090504493711360
https://twitter.com/embed/status/851782877146525696
It's gone already😭#ピザポテト #ピザポテト販売休止 #ポテトチップス #カルビー pic.twitter.com/KXgVrZLnHg
— Yoko (@englandcanada) April 11, 2017
ジャガイモ不足でポテチ販売休止 ネットでは1袋750円の高値転売（AbemaTIMES） – Yahoo!ニュースhttps://t.co/hBskcOemY7
近所の西友も全然なかった(ू˃̣̣̣̣̣̣︿˂̣̣̣̣̣̣ ू) pic.twitter.com/S1iCwskgVl
— めざましテレビ (@earonmask_vra) April 12, 2017
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852108458342076416
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852108363663933440
https://twitter.com/embed/status/851752563938516992
嘘だろ…!?オイ！返事しろ！ポテチ！ポテチいいいいいいいいいいいいいいいい！！！！ pic.twitter.com/HISW8bDFqU
— リノウィス・ユーグライト (@Rinowis) April 12, 2017
イオン来たらポテトチップス全然なくて草生える pic.twitter.com/v2Mt5Eb7Vp
— よっ氏 (@yossy1129s) April 12, 2017
イオンのポテチ棚すっからかんで草 pic.twitter.com/cYE9PUW9lw
— TATSU. (@TATSUevo) April 12, 2017
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852104418317090817
イオンで買い物をしてるときに
お菓子の棚を見たら全然ポテトチップス
が置いてなかった(´д｀|||) pic.twitter.com/FjAXx8I9JG— sin (@shin1029452) April 12, 2017
スーパー寄ったらポテトチップスの棚スカスカになってた💦
買い占めた人いたんだろうね
#ポテトチップス pic.twitter.com/KPHol1pKPU— 佳乃 (@1964Sea) April 12, 2017
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852094373655232513
#カルビー #湖池屋 #じゃがりこ
#ポテトチップス
やはりとゆうか…売筋は絶滅しつつあります😫いちお買いだめはしといた 笑 pic.twitter.com/aAxYLHPRrn— しょうちやん (@SHOTA57878703) April 12, 2017
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852107467039186944
#ポテトチップス
札幌のメガドンキにはもう何もない。 pic.twitter.com/M0Us3HIivi— 洞爺雅治 (@Touya_Masaharu) April 11, 2017
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852104907754569728
ポテチ狩りが始まっている… pic.twitter.com/Tfgiyv00pC
— にいこ・ヘルエスタ (@27ni_ko) April 12, 2017
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852109477687902213
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852109157633216513
https://twitter.com/embed/status/852106856486940674
買えなかった😭😭#カルビー pic.twitter.com/EEPrVieAxl
— さんちゃん (@6IbQp2U7xngSqaI) April 12, 2017
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