Comments on: Are Japanese people hard-wired to hoard?

By: Ahmed

Ahmed — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 11:43:11 +0000

I agree with Rick. The title of this post is comical since every nationality hoards.

By: Miko

Miko — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 14:03:13 +0000

Interesting comment, Rick. I guess you could say that hoarding is really a form of conspicuous consumption.

By: Rick

Rick — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:33:53 +0000

It’s just human nature. Here in the USA when there’s a disaster or even a disaster that’s coming, like a hurricane, the stores get emptied of what people tend to think will be in short supply, such as bottled water, electricity generators, tarps (for damaged roofs), tape, plastic sheeting, candles, batteries.

The only people who tend not to hoard are the poor, who simply can’t afford the luxury of spending extra pocket money on what they may end up not needing after all.

By: Miko

Miko — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 05:44:08 +0000

Hoarding is going on here in Kansai too (I live in Kobe, and work in Osaka). Since early this week I’ve noticed empty shelves in local supermarkets, and today I found signs posted informing customers of limitations on certain products, for example rice and cup noodles, only two packs each. Bottled water has completely run out. And I can’t bring myself to look at the toilet paper section!

I can’t really criticise people, though. I’m still holding on to roughly 50 face masks that I bought in the great swine flu scare a couple of years ago. Something tells me that I’ll be needing them again.

By: Greg Laurence

Greg Laurence — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:31:07 +0000

An interesting perspective on this comes from my sister-in-law, Tomoko. She and her family are from Iwaki, Fukushima, and while they live just outside the evacuation zones for the Daiichi and Daini nuclear power plants, they decided yesterday to make a break for Tokyo. Arriving safely, the took a bath (a luxury not available in Iwaki these days) and a nap, then decided to go to the supermarket.

Of course, they found empty shelves. The question she has is, “Why?” Tokyo doesn’t have thousands of evacuees in shelters. Tokyo doesn’t have thousands whose homes have been destroyed. Tokyo doesn’t have no running water, no gas, or no electricity.

Her message: For Tohoku’s sake, please show some restraint Tokyo.