Japanese increasingly concerned about prices, food safety: poll

Sunday 13th April, 06:08 AM JST

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Pukey2 at 01:05 PM JST - 13th April

MegMilk was known as Snow Brand, I believe, before it masqueraded itself with a new name and made the Japanese forget all their problems.

Yes, overpriced - especially when you see the Miyazaki mangos!

rjd_jr: Yes, the Japanese are so fussy that appearance is the most important thing (and as a result, use insecticides and chemical fertilizers). And don't forget the MSG found in ALL Jp products.

Poisoning cases have NOT be confined to Chinese products. But, for some reason, only Chinese-made gyoza seems to pop up. Just look at the news recently and you'll realize Jp products have their fair share of posioning cases.
proxy at 02:27 PM JST - 13th April

Good, maybe the government will get the message and NOT retax gasoline.
realist at 04:26 PM JST - 13th April

rid jr

"The world media has continually taken a dump on Japan so it nice the people dont care a whit about other peoples dumb opinions about Japan/Japanese." I wonder how you took that from the report of of the recent poll? The worlds media has criticized Japan when it was deserved, no more and no less - just like they do with most countries. As regards the Japanese people, we all know, polls or no polls, that they are completely paranoid about what other people in the world think of them. Just look at how the J Government bends over backwards to entice people in other countries to "like" Japan. In most places, I believe that the people of other countries have a favourable view of Japan, its people and culture. There are exceptions, of course. People in many Asian countries and also in Western countries get upset when the Japanese try to deny or cover-up their sordid, dark history. In many places where Japanese tourists are to be found, there are people who dont like Japanese people because of their percieved arrogant and rude behaviour at times. These are facts of life, and dont just apply to the Japanese. However, to say that all the world`s media indulges in Japan-bashing all the time is just untrue.
ToughGuyBanker at 06:51 PM JST - 13th April

rjd jr,

It's not the gyoza incident that has people scared, despite the domestic media flogging that dead horse in its fit of nationalistic orgasm. You need to peel away the layers and look a little deeper. Your take on things is superficial and naive.
paolo27th at 06:59 PM JST - 13th April

These surveys are all just a matter of opinion. I mean, is the guy in the street an expert in matters of economy? If he answers that the economy is going great is that really the case? I'd say the only reason why these surveys are done is to see whether people are swallowing official propaganda. I mean, how can the Japanese be proud of their country's "beautiful nature"? What nature? And the cabinet official only mentioned the gyoza issue but forgot all the other much biggert scandals involving Japanese companies? Clearly a PR exercyse.
Seiharinokaze at 08:35 PM JST - 13th April

The prices of crude oil and cereals, by extended forecast, are rising and will continue to rise due to the growing population and increased wealth in developing countries. But the more immediate cause for the present price hikes, as is often pointed out, is the inflow into the oil and wheat's futures market of investment money that has evacuated from stock market in the wake of the subprime lending problems. It means we are facing crises because we are getting wealthier. Surplus money in the globalized economy undermines our basic lives. That's what scares us most.
paolo27th at 10:35 PM JST - 13th April

Seiharinokaze, "we are facing crisis because we are getting wealthier"? You mean that my wife not being able to find a stable job is because we are better off? That's an interesting concept. But I keep thinking, the price of petrol is much lower here than in Europe and it was recently lowered further. Now, at any time during the morning/afternoon at Mejiro station there are about 8 taxis waiting with their engine on - on each side of the street. Wouldn't it make better sense to stop wasting if one is really bothered by prices going up? Or I guess it's easier to just complain?
Smythe at 06:10 AM JST - 14th April

The poll seems to be at end of the line food buyers. So comes the qustion if Japan is an IMPORTER of ford or do you have any that are producing food & should not the Poll been aimed at Japanese food producers or what might be called "farmers"?

I speak as an ex-Cdn full time fruit orchardist for 14 yrs only we were selling said products close to the cost of the same products during the depression.
Smythe at 10:45 AM JST - 14th April

Opps I forgot to say that it might be a good idea if the poll, or another poll, also asked those that produce the food. Like best to know what the other side of the coin is like when it comes to food products.
romulus3 at 10:50 AM JST - 14th April

I am also concerned. I misread a label the other day and ended up buying fried kidney and veggies. Yuk! what a waste of 300 yen.
Seiharinokaze at 05:31 PM JST - 14th April

paolo27th, then I might say "we are facing crisis because we are getting greedier because of money"? I am surprised to know by reading a new book by Soejima Takahiko that Milton Friedman said that the financial market which was made complex out of the conventional futures market by the magic of "financial engineering" is a "house of cards". The market is a bogus job isn't it?

As for your wife being unable to find a stable job, sorry I'm not so sure about it. But you are still better off aren't you. In the U.S. you often lose a regular job even if you are qualified enough on account of so called globalization of industry. And it's justified as part of the process for the society at large or whole economy to get wealthier and stronger? Better call it part of the crisis.

And as for oil consumption, I hear China has more than doubled it to over 7 million barrel a day in the last decade and the U.S. has also increased to around 20 million while Japan has reduced it to 5 million due to energy saving technology and decreasing population. But I agree with your suggestion that taxis better stop waiting with their engines on.
thepossum at 11:49 PM JST - 14th April

Bwahaha ! This is rich...

"Japan has reduced it to 5 million due to energy saving technology and decreasing population."

So why then, Seiharinokaze, has Japan's CO2 numbers continued to rise ? Up 8% since they signed into the Kyoto Protocol !
Seiharinokaze at 01:07 AM JST - 15th April

thepossum, actually that's what I wold like to ask. Japan's oil consumption has decreased from 5.7 to 5.1 million barrels a day in the last decade. So why CO2 increases to everybody's alarm and anxiety? Is that some kind of fraud?
westurn at 02:13 PM JST - 16th April

Is it me ? or is this article a 100% about face of the Japantoday pop voux a few months ago where people on the street were asked about rising food prices. At that time Japantoday presented a group that was totally in agreement... "no concern" ! Some posters challenged the authenticity of that "on the street survey"... well well, my oh my, it seems those of you that questioned the accuracy of that were more than right ! Well done, crap detectors in quality operating mode I see.

On the flipside of this, I can't help but think that Japan is once again screwing up an opportunity to generate more domestic spending... which was once again at the heart of the opinion page in the daily yomiuri today. I was cruisin' through Tokyo this morning when I came across Hanamasaya. They were advertising a "huge" American import sale. So in I went, and what did I find ? Shampoos ? Detergents ? Clothing items ? Micro Beers ? Cheeses ? Frozen food products ? Spices ? Cake/cookie mixes ? What exactly did I find ??? I found "BEANS" !!! Yep, all kinds of canned beans ! Kidney, Lima, Black, Chili etc ! There ya go Japan, celebrate the food products and consumer goods most known to be American... "BEANS" !!! Arghh !
westurn at 02:55 PM JST - 18th April

The latest from the checkout stand. Gee folks, remember them oranges, grapefruits, and meat products advertised to go on sale at Ito Yokado, Daiei etc ? Well, I just checked out the most recent prices for such products. And, true to Japanese form, the oranges and grapefruits have gone up in price by about 40% ! What used to be about 60 yen is now back to 100 ! Hmm, obviously the economy has done an about face and the local supermarkets have gone back to their price gouging ways ! Sigh ! It was fun while it lasted... a whole two weeks !