TOKYO - Scallop prices are soaring across Japan as poor harvests send shockwaves through production areas and seafood retailers, with wholesalers and restaurants warning of a prolonged crisis brought on by a string of environmental disasters.
At a seafood buffet restaurant in Tateyama, Chiba Prefecture, known for its fresh grilled offerings, scallops remain a customer favorite. On this particular day, the store featured scallops from Aomori Prefecture, with visitors praising the plump texture and rich flavor of the freshly grilled delicacy.
However, the store is struggling behind the scenes. In autumn 2024, the buffet increased its price by 400 yen to offset rising ingredient costs, with scallops seeing the steepest price jump of all. According to the manager, Kozai, the price per scallop has doubled compared to the previous year. "It kept rising gradually, and then before we realized it, it had doubled," she said. She admitted that at times she felt torn: "We want people to come and eat, but part of me wants to say, 'Please don't eat too many.'"
The price hike is not limited to restaurants. At a local fishmonger, the cost of boiled scallops used for skewers has risen about 1.4 to 1.5 times compared to around May 2024. "It used to be 130 or 140 yen a piece about a year ago," said Watanabe, the owner of Marukawa Suisan. "Naturally, the price of skewers has gone up as well."
The root of the problem lies in Aomori, one of Japan’s top scallop-producing regions. Since around mid-November 2024, mass die-offs have been reported among juvenile scallops born in spring and scheduled for shipment in 2025. Footage from a local fishery cooperative shows piles of dead young scallops.
Takuma Kudo of the Okata Fishery Cooperative explained, "The first cause is high water temperatures—last year was especially warm. The second is a lack of plankton, which is their food source. These two worst-case scenarios overlapped."
As a result, the cooperative expects to harvest only 10 percent of the usual volume in 2025, with 90 percent of the juveniles reportedly dead. Kudo warned that the long-term effects could be severe: "Without mature scallops, there won’t be any babies next time. The cycle breaks down, and it could take years to recover."
The impact is already visible, with delayed growth in surviving scallops for the 2025 season. Industry insiders fear the crisis may worsen before it improves.
Source: FNN
