Mar 09, 2022 (Nikkei) - As democracies slap sanctions on Russia, Japan's sushi restaurants and seafood importers find themselves suffering from some unintended consequences.
"The scramble for crab has just begun," said a representative of Saito Fish Shop, located at the site of the old Tsukiji Market, once one of the world's largest fish markets.
It was the representative's way of saying the price of crab is on its way up.
The operator of the fish shop also runs a sushi restaurant. The representative told Nikkei Asia that the price of crab has increased by 20 % from the beginning of March. Although most of crab Saito sells is domestic, the representative said, "We are seeing ripple effects on the price for domestic [crab] as well. Russian sea urchin is also disappearing [from the market]."
According to Japan's Fisheries Agency, 60% of the country's imported crab comes from Russia. The sanctioned country in 2020 also accounted for 9.5% of Japan's salmon and 7.1% of its cod imports.
Other small seafood businesses are similarly suffering. Mentaiko, seasoned pollock roe, is a traditional Japanese food that can be served many ways but most commonly in rice balls and in a spaghetti cream sauce. Fukuya, a major mentaiko maker, relies on Russian ingredients, especially at certain times of the year.
Many sushi eateries deal with shortages of domestically caught salmon and sea urchin due to red tides off the coast of Hokkaido. Now prices for these delicacies are rising as sanctions on Russia reverberate around the world. ...continue reading
