Food

Surge in bankruptcies among takoyaki, okonomiyaki, yaki soba shops

TOKYO, Oct 26 (News On Japan) - Against a backdrop of soaring raw material and labor costs, there's been a rapid increase in bankruptcies among shops offering the "flour-based" foods including takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and yaki soba.

Essential ingredients for takoyaki, such as wheat and eggs, continue to rise in price, while an increase in gas and labor costs are squeezing operators.

Many of these shops are small-scale businesses operated by individuals and sometimes close down because of the lack of a successor.

by Brian Dentry

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