Quake devastates companies' supply routes

Some people suffer(!) and fear shortages of Kikkoman soy sauce: ynetnews[dot]com/articles/0,7340,L-4042347,00[dot]html

Excerpts: Many of sushi's basic components come from Japan or are imported through the battered countries. Will Israelis soon suffer from a shortage of the beloved rolls' necessary ingredients? [...] My only fear is that they'll have to import Kikkoman from the US, and that will affect the imports to Israel. [...] After the tsunami I received phone calls from hysterical people fearing a shortage of Kikkoman.

I read this thinking I was going to read about fuel not reaching disaster-stricken areas, babies in refuges only getting a quarter of their ration, people on two cups of water a day. Instead I find car manufacturers are in trouble. Well that's important in the longer term, but right now, the supply route problem means people are going to die. How about getting your priorities right, JT, and addressing the most important issues for now? There's a desparate shortage of information and communication for people in the affected areas, if you go into the supermarket there's no milk, no rice, no water, no batteries, no bread, garages are closed. We need to know what's happening and how to deal with those problems, NOW!

Another problem is centralised purchasing. Every purchase must be approved by head office. I sell things on the internet and have a stock of torches (flashlights to Amercans). The local chain stores have sold out. They want to buy from me but cannot without a hanko from head office.

"As the crow flies" I will tell you how to deal with the problem. Knock on your neighbour's door. Ask if they can spare some of what you need. They probably bought a year's supply of it last week. Yes, hoarding is the problem.

Gaijintraveller: you know what? I did knock on my neighbours door. An old lady. I went to see if she was okay and needed any help with anything. From the half of her eye I could see through the wafer slit of the door she opened, she told me she was okay, thank you very much. I could see the door wavering. She was itching to shut it back again in my face. She probably has rice up to the ceiling, but I don't see her passing any of it on.

Yes too much hoarding going on here in Tokyo!