Japan fights Setsubun’s daily 6-ton food waste

We will have Setsubun soon, on February 3rd. It is a popular traditional Japanese festival but has topped concerns over its infamous food waste problem in Japan.

What is Setsubun?

The festival is meant to drive away demons believed to arise during the change of seasons. Setsubun falls on the day before “Risshun,” which is the first day of spring in the lunar calendar.

During the festival, roasted beans are thrown outside of homes to ward off evil spirits, and people wear masks of demons. Additionally, people eat sushi rolls known as “Ehoumaki” while facing the direction of good fortune, which changes yearly, to wish for good health and good fortune.

Ehoumaki was a tradition in some regions, but the custom spread rapidly because convenience stores began advertising and selling it. Recently, the mass disposal of Ehoumaki has become an issue every year.

More than 6 tons of food waste is generated every year

On the day of Setsubun, Ehoumaki is sold simultaneously at supermarkets, convenience stores, and various other places. Because many buy these rolls at the same time, it is estimated that the economic effect in 2022 will be approximately 64.9 billion yen.

On the other hand, according to a survey by the Japan Food Ecology Center, which turns food waste into livestock feed, an average of six tons of food waste will be generated from 2019 to 2021 on that day alone. Considering that waste is also brought to other food recycling centers, the amount is believed to be more than six tons.

Examples of Government Initiatives

The problem of Ehoumaki food waste has become a significant social issue, prompting the government to take action. To promote sales that meet the demand for Ehoumaki, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries provided materials for retailers to publicize their efforts to reduce Ehoumaki food waste to consumers through the ministry’s website.

Furthermore, the government has recruited businesses taking initiatives to reduce the waste of Ehoumaki and published their businesses and case studies of their efforts.

Promoting pre-order sales

Food retailers have also promoted reservation sales of Ehoumaki. Still, unlike Christmas cakes, although it has been difficult to promote reservation sales because they are inexpensive, and there is no fear of unsold items.

Therefore, an increasing number of retailers are now promoting pre-order purchases with special offers. For example, major convenience store chain Lawson offers discounts or a bottle of tea for those who pre-order Ehoumaki by a specified date.

Optimizing operations at stores

Controlling sales on the day of sale is also a major factor affecting the amount of food waste. Shell Garden, which operates a chain of supermarkets, checks sales at each store every hour and moves products between stores accordingly. The company also succeeded in reducing food waste by adjusting discounting times according to sales and devising other same-day operations.

Sales of small sizes

It is believed that eating up the entire Ehoumaki without cutting it is good luck. However, the actual Ehoumaki sold in some cases are so large that even adults cannot finish them, resulting in leftovers at home. A Co-op Kyushu Co. Ltd. now sells half-size rolls that even children can finish.

We need to strengthen measures to reduce food waste

According to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries in 2019, 87% of retailers surveyed said that the waste rate had decreased from the previous year.

However, despite these efforts, there has been no significant decrease in disposal since then. That is partly due to the fact that Ehoumaki itself is a perishable food that only keeps well for a short time—in addition to consumer efforts, disclosing the amount of food waste is necessary.

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