The growth in fish consumption globally, the depreciation of the yen and the supply problems caused by the war in Ukraine are forcing the large Japanese sushi chains to raise consumer prices. This has not happened since the 1980s. The ‘Kaiten-sushi’ restaurants, where the dishes already prepared pass on a conveyor belt, no longer guarantee the classic 100 yen (0.70 euro) basic portion, which for decades has been the standard of affordable quality.
Lo yen ai minimi
One of the main chains in Japan, Sushiro, has announced that it will be forced to abolish the 100 yen offer at the end of September for the first time since 1984, by applying a surcharge of 20 yen on the saucer which generally contains two portions of fish. with rice. The group imports much of the fish it offers in its restaurants, and the sudden devaluation of the yen, at its lowest in 20 years against the dollar, has been affecting the group’s margins for months now. The same goes for the Genrokuzushi chain, the first to have introduced the concept of Kaiten-sushi in Japan, and which has already applied a surcharge since 10 May.
The difficulties of supply
Another aspect that has significantly affected the increase in prices is the difficulty in finding high-end fish, including king crab and sea urchins, two varieties that come respectively 90% and 50% from Russia. The same goes for salmon roe produced in Northern Europe, whose air links with Japan have been lengthened due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. In 2021, Japan imported marine products totaling 138 billion yen (1.10 billion euros) from Moscow, behind China and Chile, with 80% of supplies made up of red salmon. Operators fear protracted logistics anomalies could lead to short-term fish supply shortages, and further increases in seafood prices.
The crisis in Italy
The fish sector is also in crisis in Italy. For over a week in the main Italian ports, fishermen have not gone out to sea to protest against the expensive diesel, which has made fishing uneconomical. The lockout began in the Marche, but quickly spread to Tuscany, Civitavecchia, Fiumicino, Gaeta, Anzio, Chioggia and all the main Apulian ports. At the port of Termoli, the price of diesel reached 1.12 euros per liter: for an average boat that consumes about a thousand liters per day, this is a cost deemed unsustainable. “A fixed price at the pump is established from 0.50 to 0.60 euros, then the difference must be paid by the State, which has the duty to find a solution”, ask the fishermen of Mola di Bari, the second Apulian navy for number of boats. The Government has just published in the Official Gazette the decree that allocates 20 million euros to support the fishing sectors affected by the international crisis and by expensive diesel. An extension of the tax deadlines and the extension of the tax credit to the second quarter of the current year are also being studied.
