# Cucumber (P)risis in Japan



## Alexander1970 (Jul 17, 2019)

*In Japan, the prices of cucumbers and other vegetables have skyrocketed in recent weeks: up to 70 percent of vegetables have become more expensive. Cause is for the season completely unusual little sunshine.

In many parts of Japan, it has been unusually cloudy and cool for weeks. According to the daily newspaper "Japan Times", there were a maximum of three hours of sunshine a day in Tokyo for 20 days. This is the least amount of sun exposure since 1961, Japan's meteorological institute measures this value.*

https://twitter.com/japantimes/status/1151162100699607042?ref_src=twsrc^tfw




 

*Cucumber prices rose according to the report by 70 percent, other vegetables also saw price increases in the high double-digit percentage range.

However, not all vegetables are affected. Onion, white radish and carrots were even cheaper. They come mostly from the island of Hokkaido - and there was above average sunshine.*


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## Youkai (Jul 17, 2019)

so what ?

Same happens pretty much everywhere from time to time ...


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## Veho (Jul 17, 2019)

Weather Affects Crops, news at 11.


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## DBlaze (Jul 17, 2019)

Aren't the prices for fruit and vegetables normally pretty high already in Japan?


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## Youkai (Jul 17, 2019)

DBlaze said:


> Aren't the prices for fruit and vegetables normally pretty high already in Japan?



depends where you are ... in Tokyo they are incredibly high most of the time but if you go out of the big city Prices can be rather normal.
on Okinawa you can get Pineapple and Mango rather Cheap as they are growing there and in Hokkaido you can get potatoes and whatever rather cheap.

In Tokyo they have to pay a very high ammount of rent for the stores so they need to price everything higher then usual.


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## spotanjo3 (Jul 17, 2019)

Hahaha.. No biggie deal. My family grow their own farm -- a organic.. priceless and we have plentiful of vegetable included this one.. Make your own farm then!!!! Its fun, safe, and priceless! Save a lot of money.


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## DBlaze (Jul 17, 2019)

azoreseuropa said:


> Hahaha.. No biggie deal. My family grow their own farm -- a organic.. priceless and we have plentiful of vegetable included this one.. Make your own farm then!!!! Its fun, safe, and priceless! Save a lot of money.


I would if i had the space, I already grow whatever I feel like growing per season with what space I have for it. Sadly not that much


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## spotanjo3 (Jul 17, 2019)

DBlaze said:


> I would if i had the space, I already grow whatever I feel like growing per season with what space I have for it. Sadly not that much



I understand. Maybe you can buy few larger plastic box and put soil in them and grow whatever you want with your favourite fruits or vegetable.


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## FAST6191 (Jul 17, 2019)

What Veho said.

Is anybody likely to starve or get scurvy as a result of this? Does this mean the cucumber festival will not go ahead as planned?


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## Alexander1970 (Jul 17, 2019)

It means RICE and CYCLES in CHINA will be cheaper maybe.


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## eyeliner (Jul 17, 2019)

Some people might be sadder than usual without their dose of cucumber in the orifice.


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## Minox (Jul 18, 2019)

DBlaze said:


> Aren't the prices for fruit and vegetables normally pretty high already in Japan?


Depends on the type of vegetable. Some are not so expensive.


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## smile72 (Jul 19, 2019)

Minox said:


> Depends on the type of vegetable. Some are not so expensive.


Exactly some are quite cheap. And overall living in Tokyo is cheaper than many rural areas.


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## Alexander1970 (Jul 19, 2019)

It is nice to see and read of we get a little "insight" on Japans Vegetable market.

I wonder why nobody mentioned that the cucumbers are wrapped in PLASTIC on that picture in the first post...
Is that usual in Japan ?

Thank you.


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## smile72 (Jul 19, 2019)

alexander1970 said:


> It is nice to see and read of we get a little "insight" on Japans Vegetable market.
> 
> I wonder why nobody mentioned that the cucumbers are wrapped in PLASTIC on that picture in the first post...
> Is that usual in Japan ?
> ...


It's not. They normally only wrap if its in multiples such as the pic above shows. But it is actually terrible for the vegetable . I bought broccoli (expensive here) once from a supermarket and I left it in the wrapping for just an hour after I got home. And it was rotten.


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## FAST6191 (Jul 19, 2019)

alexander1970 said:


> I wonder why nobody mentioned that the cucumbers are wrapped in PLASTIC on that picture in the first post...
> Is that usual in Japan ?


Is it not usual elsewhere? I don't think I have seen a cucumber on a market stall in a while (guess they don't last as long out in the day for however long compared to other fruits and vegetables) but that would be about the only place I would expect to see a cucumber not wrapped in a film of plastic these days.

Are they all such hippies around you or something?


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## Alexander1970 (Jul 19, 2019)

FAST6191 said:


> Is it not usual elsewhere? I don't think I have seen a cucumber on a market stall in a while (guess they don't last as long out in the day for however long compared to other fruits and vegetables) but that would be about the only place I would expect to see a cucumber not wrapped in a film of plastic these days.
> 
> Are they all such hippies around you or something?



On our Markets - no Plastic ! Is *no good* for vegetable.
Sadly in the Stores this is still common practice.


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## FAST6191 (Jul 19, 2019)

alexander1970 said:


> On our Markets - no Plastic ! Is *no good* for vegetable.



I get unwrapping your mushrooms to prevent them from getting sweaty, and I am not sure what goes for bananas (some I see in bags, usually the fancy organic nonsense, and some with holes in, most of the time they are loose) but don't think I have seen it impact other fruits and vegetables.

Pretty much the only objection I see is from the plastic waste set.


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## Veho (Jul 19, 2019)

Here it depends on the variety. English cucumbers (that long thin sort) are individually shrink-wrapped, presumably to prevent them from imploding or something, while the "ordinary" sorts are just piled up in the nude.



alexander1970 said:


> On our Markets - no Plastic ! Is *no good* for vegetable.
> Sadly in the Stores this is still common practice.



Depends on the vegetable, some can do fine without wrapping, but some tend to bruise in transport and storage. It's fine if the granny selling her produce who brings her apples wrapped in straw to the market fresh daily, but when you have to transport it across half the continent by the truckfull you need to protect it. Bruised fruit doesn't store well and results in more waste than wrapping it from the get-go. Shorter shelf life results in more wasted food, and more frequent deliveries which also negatively affect the environment. "Plastics bad" is a simplistic view. 

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-...a-cucumber-really-mindless-waste-8340812.html


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## cearp (Jul 19, 2019)

how perきゅうりar.


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## Alexander1970 (Jul 19, 2019)

Well,a little to "clean" (I love it if earth and dirt still on it) but all better than that:

(from HOFER/ALDI):

 

(too clean and too "sterile"...)


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## leon315 (Jul 19, 2019)

THEY COULD ALWAYS import them



alexander1970 said:


> View attachment 173516
> 
> Well,a little to "clean" (I love it if earth and dirt still on it) but all better than that:
> 
> ...



i saw too much plastic on foods which is exessive, here in italy never use plastic for a single fruit


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## smile72 (Jul 19, 2019)

cearp said:


> how perきゅうりar.


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## NoNAND (Jul 20, 2019)

FAST6191 said:


> What Veho said.
> 
> Is anybody likely to starve or get scurvy as a result of this? Does this mean the cucumber festival will not go ahead as planned?


Given the fact that Japan is surrounded by oceans even if a famine were to struck the land due to shortage of crops (etc etc) they could go for fish and seafood and such. Well assuming if they aren't contaminated by radiation and other nasty toxins of course.


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## kuwanger (Jul 20, 2019)

NoNAND said:


> Given the fact that Japan is surrounded by oceans even if a famine were to struck the land due to shortage of crops (etc etc) they could go for fish and seafood and such.



Quite an old report, but no.


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