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Default Japan faces chopsticks crisis

Japan faces chopsticks crisis

Justin McCurry in Tokyo
Monday May 15, 2006
The Guardian


Millions of Japanese diners could soon be deprived of their favourite
wooden chopsticks following China's decision to impose a 5% tax on the
utensils because of concerns over deforestation.
The move is already beginning to affect restaurants and caterers in
Japan, which gets through 25bn pairs of disposable wooden chopsticks a
year - or 200 pairs a person - 97% of which come from China.

Chinese chopstick exporters responded to the tax increase by raising
prices by around 30%, with another 20% increase to follow. The price of
chopsticks has already risen from one yen a pair to more than one and a
half yen, with producers also blaming rising transportation and raw
material costs.


Article continues

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"We're not in an emergency situation yet, but there has been some
impact," Ichiro ***uoka, director of the Japan Chopsticks Import
Association, told the Associated Press.
After years of relying on the ubiquitous "waribashi" chopsticks, which
diners pull apart before they eat and throw away afterwards, Japan's
restaurants are changing their wasteful ways amid reports that China
will stop exporting wooden chopsticks altogether in 2008.

In February a restaurant chain in Osaka replaced wooden chopsticks with
plastic ones at all of its 760 outlets and offers small discounts to
customers who bring their own.

Other restaurants are turning to chopsticks made from bamboo and some
convenience stores give them out only on request.

Until 20 years ago about half of all disposable chopsticks used in
Japan were made domestically but were gradually edged out by cheap
imports from China, which produces 45bn pairs a year - the equivalent
of about 25m trees.





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Japan