"Side Effects Have Already Begun" A Startling Sight at the Supermarket... How Naphtha Shortage Has Changed Daily Life in Japan [Mwonilissu]

Snack Packaging Changes and Price Hikes Begin
Small Businesses Face Bankruptcies, Local Governments Urged to Provide Support

With the United States and Iran having formalized a ceasefire agreement, the geopolitical situation in the Middle East appears to be entering a period of stability. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital passageway for oil transport, is also expected to reopen soon. This is particularly welcome news for Japan, as the country relies on the Middle East for the majority of its crude oil imports. As a result, there is a sense of relief in Japan that the worst-case scenario of a prolonged oil shortage has been averted thanks to the ceasefire agreement.

However, the negative effects of the oil shortage have already begun to be felt in Japanese society, and many say that resolving the situation will remain difficult for some time even after the ceasefire. In particular, the shortage of naphtha—a petrochemical fuel widely used in plastics, synthetic resins, paints, and inks, and produced during the oil refining process—is having a significant impact. In fact, whether you go grocery shopping at the mart or turn on the news, you can feel how everyday life is changing due to the naphtha shortage. This week, I will share how Japan has been transformed by the lack of naphtha.

Black-and-white printed snacks are displayed on the shelves of a mart located in Minato-gu, Tokyo, Japan. Photo by Jin Jeonyeong.

The most noticeable change is on the shelves at supermarkets. Not long ago, there were reports in Korea that Japanese potato chip packaging was being changed to black-and-white. This is because printing inks, which add color to packaging, and the resins that fix ink to printed materials, are mostly made from naphtha. Black-and-white packaging uses relatively less pigment, thereby reducing overall consumption.

But it's not just potato chips that have switched to black-and-white packaging. Even I was skeptical until I went shopping at the mart near my house this week and, almost unbelievably, saw shrimp snacks in new black-and-white bags. Staring at the display of snacks in monochrome packaging made me feel as if I had traveled back in time—it was a surreal experience.

That's not all. Tomato ketchup packaging has been made mostly transparent, reducing the area of the design and thereby cutting ink consumption. In Japan, pasta noodles are usually packaged in individual portions with paper bands that typically indicate cooking times such as "13 minutes in boiling water." However, Nisshin Seifun Group released pasta with no labeling at all. Even natto, a staple breakfast item in Japan, saw its sales halted and prices increased because of rising costs of styrofoam containers.

Due to a shortage of naphtha, the ketchup packaging of Japanese food company Kagome has changed from the previous left side to the right side. TBS.

It would be preferable if the problem were limited to food and daily necessities, but the naphtha shortage is spreading across Japanese industry as well. According to Japanese broadcaster CBC, a waterworks company in Aichi Prefecture is struggling as the supply of polyvinyl chloride pipes has been cut off. Companies in the same industry are sharing scarce materials among themselves to continue operations. The auto repair industry is also reportedly experiencing difficulties due to a shortage of brake oil, which is made entirely from naphtha.

According to TBS and other outlets, the painting industry is facing a similar situation due to a lack of thinner. Thinner, which is used for diluting paint or for painting work, is made from naphtha. While companies are currently managing with existing inventories, there are concerns that these stocks won’t last even a month.

Some small and micro-business owners have even been forced to close. A representative of a waterworks company in Nagoya told CBC that some individual business owners and small companies have already gone bankrupt. According to the Tokyo Shimbun, the Saitama Prefecture Labor Union Federation held a press conference at the prefectural office on the 12th, calling for emergency support measures from local governments. They emphasized that the naphtha shortage is affecting sectors such as construction and manufacturing, pushing small and micro-businesses to the brink of closure. The union federation also called for management and employment support measures, stressing, "Jobs and employment are being threatened by the naphtha shortage."

Interestingly, there is a disconnect between the Japanese government and people on the ground. While the general sentiment is that the naphtha shortage is causing severe inconvenience, the Japanese government claims that naphtha supplies have largely recovered since April and that the current supply issue is due to a "bottleneck" in the distribution process. They argue that supply is sufficient, but the product is not being released from somewhere along the supply chain. However, companies counter, "There is no reason to keep hazardous materials like thinner in storage for a long time instead of distributing them," and reject the notion that the distribution structure is to blame.

Meanwhile, the Japan Petrochemical Industry Association has stated that concerns over supply disruptions have led some companies to secure more inventory than usual, and that these anxieties may have caused bottlenecks along the supply chain.

On the other hand, the current crisis has given rise to new industrial demand. "Powder coating," which applies color by spraying paint in powder form without the use of thinners, is gaining traction. Methods that recycle raw materials, such as using recycled plastics, are also receiving attention as ways to address the naphtha shortage.

In any case, events on the other side of the globe can leave their mark on the livelihoods of people in faraway countries. Although a war may end with the stroke of a pen, its aftereffects linger far longer than one might expect—as Japan is now experiencing.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.