How the Japanese food industry is reacting to coronavirus outbreak

COVID-19 has had a sharp and immediate impact in every country, and the impact can also be seen in the food industry. Over the past few months, the Japan food industry has been hampered. by it. The industry, which is known for its elegance and unique taste, has seen a rapid decrease in sales and must now turn to the Japanese government for assistance.

Even though the Japanese government is implementing and drafting policy to stimulate the food industry, the ever changing nature of the situation pertaining to COVID-19 makes it hard to grasp every circumstance. It is important to specifically clarify how the Japanese food industry has fared up until now, and understand what action the Japanese government is taking to tackle the situation.

How Japanese restaurants and bars are being impacted

Many restaurants and bars around Japan have been hard hit by the pandemic. Restaurant nightlife in Japan is not only a meal, but a special experience that is unique to Japanese culture. This includes heading down to your local izakaya, a Japanese style pub, to have food and drink with friends. Unfortunately, izakayas that have an intimate atmosphere because of limited space. This means the normal crowd is unwilling to congregate due to social distancing measures and the risk of infection.

Matters have mainly deteriorated for most of the food industry over a period of just four months. Since the government issued its state of emergency on April 7, sales have dived to a new low in Japan’s restaurants and bars. Although this may be true, the Japanese government is also attempting to lend a helping hand to eateries and other parts of the food industry so as to fight the inevitable recession in the wake of COVID-19.

Getting paid to stay closed

In order to prevent the spread of the virus, the municipality of Tokyo is trying to ensure its restaurants stay closed by providing an incentive to do so. Although Japan is now in a state of emergency, closing a restaurant is optional. Therefore, Tokyo is offering to pay restaurants a certain amount of money in order to stay closed.

Through this program, the Tokyo government is clearly attempting to hit two birds with one stone. If restaurants are closed, this could help the spread of the disease; however, small and medium-sized food service companies that are deeply affected by the current pandemic may still receive a source of income. The stimulus package is now worth over 192 billion yen, and will also aim provide relief to live music venues.

Installation of ventilators systems in restaurants

Japan is also aiding in the installation of ventilators in restaurants. These high-performance ventilation systems are believed to help prevent the spread of the virus. This is because it is thought that the virus spreads quickly within enclosed spaces with poor ventilation systems.

This program will provide for business owners, requiring them to pay only a third of a price for purchase and installation. If this program becomes successful, the government may require more restaurants to upgrade their ventilation systems in the future.

The prefectures team up with Uber Eats

The local municipalities of various prefecture also have plans to stem off the tides of the pandemic. For example, Hyogo prefecture has begun working together with Uber Eats in order to have food delivered to customers. From now until July 12, customers using Uber Eats receive a 10 percent discount (other prefectures have a different arrangement with Uber Eats). This project may help boost sales for local restaurants and provide meals that may be a bit more affordable to consumers.

Sake for takeout

The Japanese government is also making it easier to takeaway alcohol from restaurants and bars. This allows businesses to change their model in order to adapt to the measures being requested to combat the pandemic. Furthermore, it encourages restaurants to provide a takeaway option for the next six months. The government is hoping this will help stimulate its economy over the coming months.

It is also important to note what the community is doing in its combat COVID-19. Since Japan’s declaration for a state of emergency, the number of residents choosing to self-isolate and stay at home has seen an incredible increase. Like most other countries, Japan’s community and company have turned to delivery purchases in order to make shopping easier and safe. Restaurants, farmers, and others in the food industry have made collaborations with apps such as TABETE, which is run by CoCooking. The Tokyo company has partnered with almost 700 food-related businesses in order to provide delivery services. The service is an opportunity for sellers to offer unsold food that is still good for eating.

The situation is still developing

Many of these programs are of great importance in order to keep Japanese businesses afloat. These aforementioned stimulus and financial aid packages will help protect a few businesses. However, many of them still pose the risk of human-to-human contact that could spread the infection. For example, although Tokyo prefecture has requested that restaurants close by providing an incentive, this does not mean that restaurants are prohibited from remaining open. Measures are dependent on the prefecture, but it is possible that having such lax rules on the food industry and other areas of business might exacerbate the ongoing COVID-19 issue. Only time will tell how the situation in Japan develops.

There are many problems that the Japanese government is facing in terms of the pandemic. Although the future has not been set into stone, the government is searching for solutions that could go toward stemming the effects of the virus that is felt throughout the entire world.