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The Great Japan Potato-Chip Crisis: Panic Buying, $12 Bags (bloomberg.com)

Posted by msmash on from the culture-news dept.

Demand for potato chips has surged in Japan this week, with products on offer for 6 times their retail price online after Japanese snack company Calbee halted the sale of some of its most popular chip brands. From a report: Calbee's pizza-flavored chips were going for about 1,250 yen ($12) on Yahoo Japan Corp.'s auction website Friday. One bag usually sells for less than 200 yen. Photos of near-empty shelves at their local supermarkets were trending on Twitter. The crunch came after Calbee warned on Monday that it will temporarily halt the sale of 15 types of potato chips due to a bad crop in Hokkaido, a key potato-producing region. The northern island was hit by a record number of typhoons last year. Calbee, which has a market value of 507.9 billion yen and is 20 percent-owned by PepsiCo Inc., has a 73 percent market share of potato chips. Potato chips are a big deal in Japan, a country also known for its senbei rice crackers and Pocky sticks. Calbee's potato-snack products were the most and second-most popular snacks in a TV Asahi poll of 10,000 people and 13 confectionery makers last year, and the subject of a primetime show that lasted more than two hours.

110 comments

  1. LOL at the dumb fat Americans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    I'm LOLing at the dumb fat Americans living in Japan who can't do without their fattening potato chips. LOL!

    1. Re:LOL at the dumb fat Americans by bobbied · · Score: 0

      Little Kim Un.... Is that you playing on one of the 21 computers you have?

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    2. Re:LOL at the dumb fat Americans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Does that mean you are done LOLing at the Europeans over Brexit?

    3. Re:LOL at the dumb fat Americans by xevioso · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I live in San Francisco. Numerous Asian grocery stores carry these chips near me. They are much less fattening than normal American chips, like Lays. I eat Calbee chips quite frequently, and I'm a white dude, and they have flavors most Americans wouldn't go near (Sriracha Squid flavored, wasabi and so on). I wouldn't say I'd freak out if my local Asian store stopped carrying them or started charging 12$ a bag, but it's still disappointing.

    4. Re: LOL at the dumb fat Americans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They have the latest operating system and books. MS-DOS 6.21

    5. Re:LOL at the dumb fat Americans by Aeros · · Score: 1

      This doesnt mention that you dumb twat

    6. Re:LOL at the dumb fat Americans by russotto · · Score: 1

      I live in San Francisco. Numerous Asian grocery stores carry these chips near me. They are much less fattening than normal American chips, like Lays.

      Spotted the hipster. Calbees chips have the same calorie content as American chips.

  2. The butter crisis in Norway... by MindPrison · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Reminds me of the butter crisis in Norway a few years ago, the neighboring country Sweden would have Swedes smuggle butter into Norway and actually sell these for as much as 1.000 NOK (roughly 116 USD) per half kilo. Don't believe it? Well - check out the sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... , http://gawker.com/5869463/norw...

    --
    What this world is coming to - is for you and me to decide.
  3. I'm glad I'm European by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    All the warmongering fatass Americans living in Japan can't do without their greasy disgusting foods. Perhaps Trump will start a war with North Korea over this. You Americans sicken me.

    1. Re: I'm glad I'm European by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      Yep cause all euros are so not lard eating tubs same as Americans.

    2. Re:I'm glad I'm European by bobbied · · Score: 1

      I'm just asking.... Are you SURE it's just the X-Pat Americans who are buying chips in Japan?

      By the Way... Little Kim Un? Is that you?

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    3. Re:I'm glad I'm European by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      I'd rather be a fatass American than a poor worthless European piece of trash.

    4. Re:I'm glad I'm European by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Kim Il Sung invented the potato chip while leading guerilla war units to fight the Japanese occupiers.
      Amazingly, it turns out it was a genius long term plan to bring the morale of imperialist and puppet forces down.

    5. Re:I'm glad I'm European by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You are an ignorant hypocrite whose stupid attitude sickens the rest of us.

      The potato chip (invented by an englishman William Kitchiner) price surge is from Japanese consumers - not American ex-pats.

      What country do you live in to be proud of everything your government has done? While Americans certainly don't agree with everything Trump does, he definitely has shown a willingness to stand up to war criminals like Assad. Should the US stand by and let North Korea threaten to nuke the US, South Korea and Japan, its long time friends and allies? Should it stand by while Russia annexes the Baltics, Poland and whoever else in Europe Russia desires?

      Make no mistake - the United States is by far the most dangerous enemy to have on this planet in human history. You should be very thankful that it is populated with a basically decent people and a democratically elected government that stood by Europe in its many hours of need.

    6. Re:I'm glad I'm European by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      All the warmongering fatass Americans living in Japan can't do without their greasy disgusting foods. Perhaps Trump will start a war with North Korea over this. You Americans sicken me.

      I'd rather be a fatass American than a poor worthless European piece of trash.

      I'm guessing that, in reality, both you and the troll OP you fed to are actually fatass Americans. (^_^)

    7. Re:I'm glad I'm European by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Kim Il Sung invented the potato chip while leading guerilla war units to fight the Japanese occupiers.
      Amazingly, it turns out it was a genius long term plan to bring the morale of imperialist and puppet forces down.

      His plan failed. My morale goes up with every tasty crunch.

    8. Re:I'm glad I'm European by slashrio · · Score: -1, Troll

      ...war criminals like Assad...

      The only war Assad is involved in is the war forced upon him by Qatar, Saudi Arabia, NATO, Israel.
      And then no war crimes have been proven.
      North Korea is not threatening to nuke the US, the US is constantly threatening NK with war. Of course they need nuclear weapons--plus the power talk--to defend themselves. NK has repeatedly offered peace negotiations to the US and SK, only to be shunned by the US, who want a nice place to fight their next military-industrial complex supporting proxy war in Asia.
      If NK hasn't any nukes, they will go the same way as Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and soon Syria.
      The West is destroying the countries of the East that don't have a Western-based central bank... oh, oops, did I really say that?
      I know exactly who are the war criminals here.

      ...stand by while Russia annexes the Baltics, Poland and whoever else...

      Are you serious? Let me explain why Russia effectuated it's decades old right to military presence in Crimea. It's because NATO wanted to irritate and threaten Russia just a tad more by incorporating Ukraine in the EU and NATO. However, the democratically chosen government of Ukraine choose for Russia. This irritated the Americans... err peace loving Europeans so much that they let Soros 'invest' half a bilion $ in a fascist revolution while killing some people in the process, and leading to a puppet (Yats) government which of course chose for a pact with the NATO..., err... Europe.
      Russia's only military port in the Baltics, Crimea, was at stake but was saved because the majority of its inhabitants opted for secession to Russia.
      I don't know about you (well, actually I have quite an idea), but how do you think this is a 'Russian annexation'?
      Do you ever read something else than the WSJ?

      Make no mistake [duh] - the United States is by far the most dangerous enemy to have...

      Yeah, maybe, but the most destructive agressor too. Swallow that with your pride and morally deceived hubris.

      --
      "Trump!!", the new Godwin.
    9. Re:I'm glad I'm European by hawguy · · Score: 2, Informative

      I'd rather be a fatass American than a poor worthless European piece of trash.

      At least the poor European has real social services to fall on -- the fatass american won't be able to afford healthcare insurance for his heart bypass.

    10. Re:I'm glad I'm European by dbIII · · Score: 1

      Are you paid for this or some sort of "true believer"?
      I'm still not used to political wonks in this place despite it being infested with them ever since "social media worker" was a thing.

    11. Re:I'm glad I'm European by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Says the AC...puss

    12. Re:I'm glad I'm European by __aanfwt7763 · · Score: -1

      reading the english you write is a very interesting voyage indeed. it reads fairly well, yet there exists something somewhat a fair amount off about the style. i shall tell you this, an accent is a fact that can come through in writing, and when you do this writing to hide your oral accent, the accent simply becomes visual.

      take a fucking esl class ya goddamned retard. you're worse than the curryheads on here.

      here's some history that's really simple. the ukrainian president started passing laws to set him on a path for becoming a dictator. the drinken idiot ukrainians didn't like that and protests started. the corrupt drunken cops started abusing the shit out of the population.

      you think america did this? you know when you've been up for 3 days on speed and your mind starts making ridiculous connections? you do that enough and that brain damage is permanent. fucking retard.

      by the way, it's very easy to tell you're russian. you know how? russia and germany started ww2, against all of europe. in russia the word fascist means the opposite of russian. everywhere else it means the same thing. you fucking retard.

    13. Re:I'm glad I'm European by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You are an ignorant hypocrite whose stupid attitude sickens the rest of us.

      The potato chip (invented by an englishman William Kitchiner) price surge is from Japanese consumers - not American ex-pats.

      What country do you live in to be proud of everything your government has done? While Americans certainly don't agree with everything Trump does, he definitely has shown a willingness to stand up to war criminals like Assad. Should the US stand by and let North Korea threaten to nuke the US, South Korea and Japan, its long time friends and allies? Should it stand by while Russia annexes the Baltics, Poland and whoever else in Europe Russia desires?

      Make no mistake - the United States is by far the most dangerous enemy to have on this planet in human history. You should be very thankful that it is populated with a basically decent people and a democratically elected government that made money off of Europe in its many hours of need.

      FTFY

    14. Re:I'm glad I'm European by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      Why do you write bolocks like this?

      Everyone would probably prefere to be fat over being poor.

      Putting 'nationalities' in fromt of such statements only shows how uneducated you are ... poor European? By what terms? The moun tof poor and homelss people is in the US much higher than in Europe ... get a clue. In europe only such people are homeless that denie social/public service.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    15. Re: I'm glad I'm European by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

      Not sure about morale but I can confirm it works excellently for the nipples.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    16. Re:I'm glad I'm European by slashrio · · Score: 1

      If you'd read just a tiny little bit about geopolitics then you'd know also how these things work.
      Wars aren't started 'to help a people', or 'to spread democracy', or 'to save people from a rude dictator'.
      That's only PR and propaganda in order to gain support from the people for a war that only serves the rich in becoming even more rich by fighting for a 400 billion gas reserve between Iran and Qatar. Who ever wins the pipeline (through Syria) wins.
      That's the only (plus a few more) reason why 'Assad has to go'. Because he said "no" to Qatar but "yes" to Iran.
      The US wants to get rid of the Assad clan already since the sixties, but now they have some financial backers that actually are willing to pay for the war.
      Who do you think bought all those Toyotas for ISIS?

      --
      "Trump!!", the new Godwin.
  4. Dear dumb fat American assholes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    Go eat something healthy for a change. There's no need for this kind of idiocy. We're more civilized in Europe and would never sink to this level.

    1. Re:Dear dumb fat American assholes by bobbied · · Score: 1

      You've gone below this level, often...

      World War 1 AND World war 2 both started in and where fought at least partially in Europe.... And that's just the highlights since the 19th Century... Welcome to the gutter with the rest of the "civilized" world.

      I rest my case...

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    2. Re:Dear dumb fat American assholes by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      World War 1 AND World war 2 both started in and where fought at least partially in Europe.... And that's just the highlights since the 19th Century... Welcome to the gutter with the rest of the "civilized" world.

      Don't be fooled by labels - WWI and WW2 are just labels put on times. As the European colonial empires began to fade in the early twentieth century, they wished to re-exert their influence in the world and began a sequence of events that led into what was called WWI, and that sequence has not drawn to a close, with war still continuing today largely over the British partitioning of the Middle East.

      Historians are obsessed with weaponry, but just because there were pauses in shooting doesn't mean that the totality of events in every society involved did not continue as a continuous sequence of atrocities and disasters (and of course the shooting starts up again, from time to time).

      Wilson and Col. House certainly made things worse, but there was plenty of malfeasance for them to wade into, a consequence of European power mongering.

      But those Americans sure like to eat fried food! (and seriously, cut out the sweets, 'murka).

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    3. Re:Dear dumb fat American assholes by gtall · · Score: 1

      People have been fighting over the Mid-East from roughly 6000 BC until now. The Euros were not the cause of the current problems. The current problems are millenia old. Funny they cannot seem to straighten themselves out after all these years. They even decided to take a new religion, Islam, and use it to create a new fault line.

      It used to be the Shi'ites on Bahrain were docile and not overly upset with their Sunni masters. Then they got pissed. Reporters interviewed the proles to see what caused the uprising. One bright young prole said, Google Earth. From Google Earth the Shi'ites could see for the first time where all the whizzy new development was going and how they were getting the shaft. They got pissed. Recently, Iran decided a good Shi'ite revolt was too good to miss and started supporting the proles. The Saudi's, who see an Iranian behind every grain of sand, are supporting the Sunni overloads.

      I suspect some version of this is at work in the other Arab lands.

    4. Re:Dear dumb fat American assholes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'll give up the fried food when you stop taking dicks up your ass.

    5. Re: Dear dumb fat American assholes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's nonsensical and false. The Middle East had lots of peaceful periods. Even today a lot of countries in the Middle East are not in a state of war. You can argue, Europe Africa and Asia are in constant war too with a loose enough definition.

    6. Re:Dear dumb fat American assholes by slashrio · · Score: 1

      Awesome post!

      --
      "Trump!!", the new Godwin.
    7. Re:Dear dumb fat American assholes by hawguy · · Score: 2

      Go eat something healthy for a change. There's no need for this kind of idiocy. We're more civilized in Europe and would never sink to this level.

      Oh yeah? What about FRENCH fries!? They are just as calorie laden as potato chips and not nearly as tasty. Why did the French invent them if they are so civilized?

      I'm so glad they we call them FREEDOM FRIES now.

    8. Re: Dear dumb fat American assholes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Historically, the only 'peaceful periods' the Middle East has had were when they were entirely conquered by one empire, and the only organized violence was the regular suppression of rebellions and associated mass executions.

      As for right now, there is no nation in the Middle East NOT involved in the fighting.
      Syria and Iraq are the primary battle ground, with various sides receiving support from Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, and the entire Gulf Council. Saudi Arabia is also fighting in Yemen, too.

      Egypt and Israel are the only two not openly involved, and both are strongly suspected of participating in military actions against ISIS in the Sinai.

      Again, there is NOWHERE in the Middle East that is not involved in the fighting one way or another.

    9. Re: Dear dumb fat American assholes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      By that definition every European state and the US is "involved" there too and before that in other conflicts from Vietnam, tons of South American wars, Korea. Learn some history. Most nations have been in some sort of conflict throughout their history.

    10. Re: Dear dumb fat American assholes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The US has been in some sort of conflict since WWII. Whether it's proxy warring with the Soviets, doing shit in the Middle East (since at least the 50s when we had to get rid of the communist leader of Iran) and South America (fighting Soviet interference there), Southeast Asia etc.

    11. Re: Dear dumb fat American assholes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "...we WANTED to get rid of the communist leader of Iran) and South America (fighting Soviet interference there), Southeast Asia etc."

      FTFY. Communism as a form of government is perfectly valid if the people who it governs are cool with it.

      You can argue until you're blue in the face that it doesn't work, but that's not the point. They want it.

    12. Re: Dear dumb fat American assholes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      French fries are actually Belgian

    13. Re: Dear dumb fat American assholes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Belgium invented them.

    14. Re:Dear dumb fat American assholes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes fries are tasty, you can make them with potatoes, a knife and sunflower oil (e.g.) whereas chips are made in some random huge factory.

    15. Re:Dear dumb fat American assholes by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      Potato chips have a much higher fat to carbs ratio than frensh fies.
      Frensh fries were invented by the belgic, btw.
      And correctly done frensh fries are made from rather thick potato sticks.
      All of the above is mot necessarily unhealthy, if eaten in moderation.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    16. Re:Dear dumb fat American assholes by Agripa · · Score: 1

      Go eat something healthy for a change. There's no need for this kind of idiocy. We're more civilized in Europe and would never sink to this level.

      Oh yeah? What about FRENCH fries!? They are just as calorie laden as potato chips and not nearly as tasty. Why did the French invent them if they are so civilized?

      I'm so glad they we call them FREEDOM FRIES now.

      Freedom fries go especially well with coffee from my freedom press.

    17. Re: Dear dumb fat American assholes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Classy. I'll bet you freedom kiss on the first date too.

  5. I live in the Seattle area... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    and the Asian market across the street from me has no potato chips. Also, the Safeway a couple of blocks from me doesn't either. Seems like the problem is spreading.

    1. Re:I live in the Seattle area... by aliquis · · Score: 2

      and the Asian market across the street from me has no potato chips. Also, the Safeway a couple of blocks from me doesn't either. Seems like the problem is spreading.

      I live in Sweden and bought chips two(?) days ago but ate the last of it today.

      So it seem to have spread here too since I'm all out of chips.

      Now you may consider this false news because who doesn't eat up all of the content in the bag in one go? Sounds false right?
      Well. I also bought one bar of dark chocolate and two with darkish chocolate and mint-crisps and five bags of licorice of which four was "salt" as we call it and "EWW! Why would you eat that?!" as Americans would likely call it.
      So yeah.. I didn't finished it all in one day.

    2. Re:I live in the Seattle area... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This. People are clearing shelves full of potato chips here in Seattle. Sucks because I really wanted Pringles at lunch (even with their new smaller containers and much worse tasting new recipe), and the three places I walked to were out.

    3. Re:I live in the Seattle area... by LunaticTippy · · Score: 1

      I ate some of that damned licorice in Norway, it was kind of like chewing on a battery. We were moving a boat in foul weather and I was cold, bored, wet, and a bit seasick. Somehow that nasty awful rotten candy took my mind off it and made me a bit less sad that I was alive.

      --
      Man, you really need that seminar!
    4. Re:I live in the Seattle area... by hawguy · · Score: 1

      and the Asian market across the street from me has no potato chips. Also, the Safeway a couple of blocks from me doesn't either. Seems like the problem is spreading.

      I live in the SF Bay area and just bought an assortment of Calbee chips for the regular price. I guess the store owner didn't hear about the shortage. Yum Calbee French Salad chips!

    5. Re:I live in the Seattle area... by aliquis · · Score: 1

      We were moving a boat in foul weather and I was cold, bored, wet, and a bit seasick. Somehow that nasty awful rotten candy took my mind off it and made me a bit less sad that I was alive.

      Yepp! Happiest people on the planet! Used to be the Danes but they got it too. "Turkisk Peber" is from Denmark, produced by Fazer (Finnish) nowadays but ..
      Djungelvrål would be a nice one to get, it's all salt on the surface so .. that may not be your thing, but you could actually rinse it off and the licorice inside is harder and .. different.. creamier? Toffieer? Or maybe it's just all that salt before-hand which trick you. That's Swedish licorice. Lkerol (also Swedish) Salmiaki is likely sold quite a lot here but is salmiak all over and a lot of it and even I don't like it but I buy it anyway because .. salt (not NaCL, NaCL+licorice doesn't taste the same ..)
      The bags I bought was Finnish "Kouvolan Lakritsi" but basically simply because it seem to be the only product they produce and then I don't have to worry about gelatin and such.

      The Turkisk peber have ... pepper in it, so it's a different thing. There's also things like "Salta kanoner" (Salt cannons) or whatever which maybe are similar.

      The finns (sold here to and likely the same in LIDL under their own brand) also have "Panda licorice" which may be better from a non-Nordic perspective because not only isn't it salmiac licorice but it's also mild in taste and less chewy than Djungelvrål. I don't really want to buy it because since it's so mild I'll eat more of it and that's of course than than eating less of it. Djungelvrål give more flavor for the weight & volume and Lkerol is made of gummi arabicum and Stevia among other things and is sold in small pastill cardboard cases so that will have even less weight and sugar in it. Most licorice seem to be based of wheat-flour and sugar/molasses, sometimes glucose syrup or corn-starch and pretty rarely gelatin, of course hard versions will mostly just be sugar and some syrup maybe but ... hard? :/

      Anyway, salt licorice, alcohol, spiced whine, "beautiful women" (how would I know?!) .. makes it work! :D
      Sweden is fucked and done by now though. Best place in the world in the 80s and so shitty now. Good work!

    6. Re:I live in the Seattle area... by LunaticTippy · · Score: 1

      Interesting info about the candy, thank you! I'm sorry you see Sweden as fucked now. It seemed nice when I was there a few years ago, and I like the social structure (what I know of it as an outsider)

      --
      Man, you really need that seminar!
  6. Same thing happening in Seattle by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    The dumb fat Americans just can't get enough of their disgusting unhealthy foods. Whether they live in Seattle or in Japan, the American pigs just can't do without their nasty foods. As a European living in Seattle, I'm disgusted by what I see.

    1. Re:Same thing happening in Seattle by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The dumb fat Americans just can't get enough of their disgusting unhealthy foods. Whether they live in Seattle or in Japan, the American pigs just can't do without their nasty foods. As a European living in Seattle, I'm disgusted by what I see.

      Why do those hipsters pretend to be European?
        It's almost as bad as those people who claim to be part native American, and the end result is the same: pathetic 23and me pseudo 1/64's are not wanted by the native Americans excapt in their casinos, and pathetic people who fail as Americans are certainly not welcomed by Europeans in any place.

    2. Re: Same thing happening in Seattle by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Then GTFO?

  7. News for nerds, stuff that matters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Let's see:

    Japanese potato chips :

    Nerd relevant? WTAF?

    Matters? huh?

    Is this some nerd chip for the Trumpian 300 pounder in some basement?

  8. "The crunch came" by bmomjian · · Score: 1

    "The crunch came" --- ah, I see what you did there. :-)

  9. Solution for Japan by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    Deport all of the dumb fatass Americans living in their country. We don't want them in Europe, and now they're causing trouble in Japan. Get the Americans out and potato chip demand will return to reasonable levels. Americans are just disgusting pigs.

    1. Re:Solution for Japan by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Never before have I been so certain of a samefag.

  10. LOL, what will fatass white nerds eat while watchi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Haha, suck it, nerds!!!!!

  11. Not nerd news by avandesande · · Score: 2

    As long as cheeto and dew trees are safe, we don't care.

    --
    love is just extroverted narcissism
    1. Re:Not nerd news by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 1

      https://consumerist.com/2017/0...

      --
      If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
    2. Re:Not nerd news by godrik · · Score: 1

      But, they are also saying pocky's might be impacted. That's a real problem!

    3. Re:Not nerd news by freeze128 · · Score: 1

      I had no idea that Pocky was made from potatoes.

  12. Way to go Idaho! by bobbied · · Score: 1

    I'm thinking a couple of containers of Idaho's finest russets are all that is necessary to keep Japan in the chips... Somebody call Idaho and start shipping...

    Better yet, call a couple of US based chip fryers and start running those fryers 24/7 until we bury them in chips....

    Seriously? People are paying $12/bag? Unless there are some *serious* tariffs on the importation of snack foods and potatoes, I detect a HUGE amount of profit is possible here. Surely somebody has started shipping these things to Japan...

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    1. Re:Way to go Idaho! by SEE · · Score: 2

      Well, you see, they could, if Japanese agricultural protectionism didn't get in the way. But it does and so they can't.

    2. Re:Way to go Idaho! by Spy+Handler · · Score: 2

      Japan has protective trade policies (i.e. no imports) on many food items it considers strategically vital. Potato is one of them.

      I agree with this for the most part, you don't wanna be at the mercy of your neighbors when fecal matter starts flying. Only the very shortsighted or stupid think all nations will get along singing kumbaya all the time. Ability to keep your population alive when international relations go south is pretty damn vital.

    3. Re:Way to go Idaho! by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

      If you are at war with Idaho, and there is money to be made, someone else will ship you potatoes. Potatoes are hardly critical foodstuffs in Japan. Japan has protectionism for monetary reasons only, like many Asian countries.

    4. Re:Way to go Idaho! by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 0

      The US Armed Forces are already on it! They have announced that they are going to drop their newest invention on Japan: The MOABOC - The Mother Of All Bags of Chips!

      A military spokesman is quoted as saying, "It's the right-sized bag, for the right-sized job."

      Out of consideration of civilians, gallons of sweep-syrupy soda will also be dropped.

      . . . and some weed to give them the munchies, in case they need help getting started on the chips . . .

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    5. Re:Way to go Idaho! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thing is they are already at the mercy. Japan doesn't produce enough food for their entire population. When shit starts flying, some people won't have enough food. Of course keeping some of their agricultural production alive means they won't suffer as badly but it still isn't enough.

    6. Re:Way to go Idaho! by Spy+Handler · · Score: 1

      Sure, potato is hardly critical foodstuffs in Japan *now* when things are going swimmingly. But envision another WW2 type scenario. You are blockaded by US (or some other) navy, whole sections of the country is devastated by aerial bombardment and rice production has gone to shit. You need any and all foods you can get your hands on to keep your people alive. Potato is one of those foods that for small amount of land and other resources, you get quite a lot of calories, is easy to grow on your poor island soil and keeps well. That makes it strategically vital, unlike say guava or almonds, and it makes sense to keep domestic production of potato ongoing.

      Agriculture isn't like software, you can't just start it up and have a viable product in a short amount of time.

    7. Re:Way to go Idaho! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      http://lmgtfy.com/?q=japan+import+potato

    8. Re:Way to go Idaho! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That makes it strategically vital, unlike say guava

      Ah yes, the Japenese appetite for guava is well known around the world!

    9. Re:Way to go Idaho! by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

      Better yet, call a couple of US based chip fryer

      Considering Pepsi (who owns Frito-Lay) also owns a good chunk of the relevant Japanese comapny, I think there would be worry about cannibalizing sales.

      --
      Your ad here. Ask me how!
    10. Re:Way to go Idaho! by mikael · · Score: 1

      The MOABB's (Mother of All Beer Barrel Bombs)

      http://spitfiresite.com/2012/0...

      --
      Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads
    11. Re:Way to go Idaho! by volmtech · · Score: 1

      Actually russets do not make good chips. Round whites are better with the Atlantic being to most popular in my area. Frito Lay has proprietary varieties that their growers plant. Why yes, I did grow chip potatoes, there is a 50 acre field past my front yard just about ready to harvest. Look up Hastings, FL.

  13. Take note by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    This is what happens when you let Americans into your country. They are fatties and can't get enough of their ridiculously unhealthy junk foods. This is why we don't want Americans in Europe. We're better than that, and we also don't go around starting wars, being racists, and forcing our laws on other countries.

    1. Re: Take note by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You mean both world wars, multiple genocides, chembankrupt countries and forced laws that causes a Country to leave the EU?

      How fucking stupid are you?

    2. Re: Take note by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      -chem

  14. Reminds me of the great Sriracha shortage of 2013 by Weaselmancer · · Score: 2

    Ah, those were the days. Barely lived through that one. =)

    The story here, for those fortunate enough to have missed it.

    --
    Weaselmancer
    rediculous.
  15. Re:News for nerds, stuff that matters by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

    Nerd relevant? WTAF?

    When the price of foreign currencies spikes like that, for people holding USD, they're sure going to wish they were holding cryptocurrencies.

    TFTFY.

    OK, I tried.

    --
    My God, it's Full of Source!
    OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
  16. Backgrond story: Japan re-militarizing (cue V2/A4) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    > no potato chips due to a bad crop in Hokkaido, a key potato-producing region. The northern island was hit by a record number of typhoons last year...blah-blah...

    Don't buy such cover stories. Last time there was a big potato it shortage happened in nazi Germany. Since they had no domestic mineral oil supplies and the romanian oil fields were lost to soviet invasion by 1944, the lack of kerosene (jet fuel) production meant the mass application of V2 (A4) ballistic missiles suffered a big setback. Germany's solution was to convert the V2 to alcohol-LOX fueling: they simply confiscated over 75% of the entire potato yield in the Reich and in the occupied territories, had it fermented and used the spirit to fuel the V2, of which over 3500 were launched against Belgium, Netherlands and Britain.

    Similarly, it is quite likely that the oil-less Japan (they only have coal resources domestically) is now trying to amass potato crop for industrial alcohol production, likely in connection with some aero-space project, quite likely a clandestine military one, else they could simply buy more mineral oil from Russia or the Arabs in public tanker ship exchanges. I think USA, China and Korea better watch out!

  17. Remember to take a potato chip... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    AND EAT IT!

    *That was a Death Note reference in case you didn't notice.

    1. Re:Remember to take a potato chip... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Didn't notice since i don't know what Death Note is.

    2. Re: Remember to take a potato chip... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ok, adding Anonymous Coward to the list.

    3. Re:Remember to take a potato chip... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Didn't notice since i don't know what Death Note is.

      They're a Swedish "death techno" band founded in the early 1990s. Their first two albums are well-respected, but many people feel they went downhill when their clarinetist gave up the instrument and went on to form the novelty techno band, Rednex.

      Today, there are actually two competing versions of the band that have ended up in court over who owns the rights to the name. One was last seen on the "Re-Sample" 90s death techno nostalgia tour playing in mid-sized town halls and holiday camps across England and Wales. The other has no members at present, but is legally required to perform at least eighteen times a year and has thus disappointed fans who bought tickets to their shows only to find an empty stage. The "potato chip" reference comes from one of their B-sides, recorded shortly after the final member was forced out of the band by spiritual turbulence.

      Opinion is split as to which lineup is the better of the two.

    4. Re:Remember to take a potato chip... by Gibgezr · · Score: 1

      Best comment here.

    5. Re:Remember to take a potato chip... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I could've gone my whole life without knowing that.

    6. Re: Remember to take a potato chip... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Band with no Members" is going into my "Potential band names.txt" file.

  18. SIlly people by AndyKron · · Score: 0

    Why the hell would anybody want pizza flavored potato chips, let alone pay money for them? Silly people!

    1. Re:SIlly people by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hello Bernie Sanders supporter! I realize the concept of market forces is terrifying to you and that makes you ridicule others due to your lack of comprehension. But try to hold on, hug your teddy bear while wearing your footie pajamas in your safe space, and don't come back out until we say so, snowflake.

    2. Re:SIlly people by Bender+Unit+22 · · Score: 1

      The last time I visited the US, I found biscuit & gravy flavored chips.
      I just had to try them and indeed they tasted like chips with gravy on them, I know this because back in the 80's it was in fashion here in Denmark to serve a few potato chips on the plate along with gravy and a slice of some sort of roast.

    3. Re:SIlly people by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Talk about a snowflake. You're offended by somebody's bewilderment?
      Mind you, pizza flavoured chips could be delicious.

    4. Re:SIlly people by hazardPPP · · Score: 1

      Pizza flavour is the best flavour :) sadly usually lacking in North America

    5. Re:SIlly people by rklrkl · · Score: 1

      Pizza flavoured crisps sound interesting to me - bring them on to combine two of my favourite junk foods! Pizza's no more weird than pickled onion, worcester sauce or prawn cocktail flavoured crisps - which are my current top 3 flavours...

    6. Re:SIlly people by GNious · · Score: 1

      back in the 80's it was in fashion here in Denmark to serve a few potato chips on the plate along with gravy and a slice of some sort of roast.

      ....still doing this every Jul :)

    7. Re:SIlly people by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because pizza is ridiculously expensive by western standards, like $22 for a medium, in Japan? So people buy pizza flavored. Meanwhile, I'll just enjoy my large $3.50 self-rising crust pizza in America, even if I have to spend a little while to bake it.

    8. Re:SIlly people by Jiro · · Score: 1

      I don't know. Why in the world would they want rice combined with seaweed and raw fish?

      You know, Japan is a foreign country. Foreign countries have different food than we do. We like to think of hundreds of year old foods when we think of foreign food, but if the foreign country is modernized it'll have junk food and the junk food is going to be different from America just like the traditional food is going to be different from America.

      Besides, you can get pizza-flavored potato chips in the US, they just aren't that popular.

    9. Re:SIlly people by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Because the tongue is a sensitive organ that causes the brain to release endorphins when stimulated in ways pizza spice can.

    10. Re:SIlly people by mikael · · Score: 1

      We had hedgehog flavored crisps in the UK once. There are some crisps that are made directly from apples rather than potatoes. The Far Easterns have squid flavored ice cream and Doritos. We also have blue corn and black pepper crisps which are more unusual colours. For really spicy crisps, there is Bombay Mix and Chili Peanuts. I'd like to know if there is anything more spicy.

      --
      Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads
    11. Re:SIlly people by mikael · · Score: 1

      I'd guess if they didn't have container transport for 200 years, they would have to adapt to what they could grow on land and catch from the sea. Breeding fish in paddy fields and catching them as the rice fields are drained is an interesting way of getting two harvests from one.

      --
      Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads
  19. Don't forget the Twinkies by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's just like when the Hostess union destroyed the company.
    People were buying packages of Zingers and Ding-Dongs from the factory store in my town and selling them for stupid money on eBay.

    1. Re:Don't forget the Twinkies by j-beda · · Score: 2

      It's just like when the Hostess union destroyed the company.

      Looks more like management continually screwed up by not moving the company with the times. Maybe better labour relations from the beginning would have helped a lot.

  20. Then switch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Maybe try popcorn. Nebraska will happily sell Japan all the popcorn they can eat.

  21. It's potatoes now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Eventually it's rice or wheat. Welcome to the glorious world of climate change destabilized food production, world.

  22. No humor and no mention of climate? by shanen · · Score: 1

    So now I guess this is just another meta-comment on the increasingly sad state of Slashdot? I was really disappointed by the lack of jokes on the rich target, but saddened by the lack of mention of climate or famine. Also not a single comment moderated "insightful", but maybe that's just what passes for truth in advertising these days?

    On the official topic, I was actually ahead of the story when I saw it on TV, but I didn't realize what the full story was until later on. In one sense it is kind of funny that this is the leading edge of climate-change-induced famine as manifested by potato-chip panic in an advanced society. For all the other senses, it won't be funny when the famines become more severe even in those so-called advanced societies that have mostly brought it upon themselves. Harvesting the seeds of the climate change they planted, as the religious folk might like to say.

    So let's change the topic again with the best joke I've heard this week, as mutated for the topic at hand:

    Pepsi: Watch this ad! No, wait. Don't watch that ad!

    United: Ha! You call that a PR disaster?

    Spicer: Hold my beer (and potato chips).

    (#PresidentTweety: Great job, Spicy! That's the way to change the subject! Even better and cheaper than missiles and daisy cutters!)

    --
    Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.
  23. Re:Backgrond story: Japan re-militarizing (cue V2/ by hawguy · · Score: 1

    > no potato chips due to a bad crop in Hokkaido, a key potato-producing region. The northern island was hit by a record number of typhoons last year...blah-blah...

    Don't buy such cover stories. Last time there was a big potato it shortage happened in nazi Germany. Since they had no domestic mineral oil supplies and the romanian oil fields were lost to soviet invasion by 1944, the lack of kerosene (jet fuel) production meant the mass application of V2 (A4) ballistic missiles suffered a big setback. Germany's solution was to convert the V2 to alcohol-LOX fueling: they simply confiscated over 75% of the entire potato yield in the Reich and in the occupied territories, had it fermented and used the spirit to fuel the V2, of which over 3500 were launched against Belgium, Netherlands and Britain.

    Similarly, it is quite likely that the oil-less Japan (they only have coal resources domestically) is now trying to amass potato crop for industrial alcohol production, likely in connection with some aero-space project, quite likely a clandestine military one, else they could simply buy more mineral oil from Russia or the Arabs in public tanker ship exchanges. I think USA, China and Korea better watch out!

    That is such an unrealistic conspiracy theory.

    The real truth is that the Emperor is taking over the country and he's amassing a stockpile of artillery for his potato guns. Everyone knows the destructive power of a potato gun, when I was a kid, one of my friends knocked a can off a fence 100 yards away with one. Yeah, that's right, we measured in yards in those days, the socialist "meter" wasn't even invented. We had plans on building a bigger gun that could hit the moon, but ran out of time before summer ended... plus we found his brother's stash of marijuana.

  24. Beware by Areyoukiddingme · · Score: 1

    Has anybody checked the radar at Pearl Harbor? 'cause this is a Japanese national crisis. And everybody knows where the most chips per capita are in the world. That's right, 7-11.

    Stay awake tonight, guys.

  25. Grim Situation by Zobeid · · Score: 1

    Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports of potato-hoarding warlords in the north of Hokkaido have emerged as authorities remain unwilling to even estimate the number of deaths the crisis has caused.

  26. Guilty as charged by thesjaakspoiler · · Score: 1

    I admit that I do really like those potato chips. You're missing out on something delicious.

  27. My tamagochi ... by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

    I think it just died.
    I mean, as in: right now!
    I feel so sad.

    (Did I break the Haiku rules again? Damn!)

    --
    Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
  28. Too bad there's nothing that can be done by russotto · · Score: 1

    If only there were a way to move potatoes from areas where they are plentiful (say, Idaho) to areas experiencing a shortage. But, no, it's impossible.