Many Vietnamese employees in Japan “stay” on sticky rice… as a result of they can not purchase rice.

There’s a scarcity of some important meals objects in Japan. Many Vietnamese employees in Osaka and Chiba should eat on the spot noodles and sticky rice as a result of they can not purchase rice.

For almost per week now, Tran Hong Duc (from Nghe An), a development intern in Chiba province, has needed to eat sticky rice to get by his meals, as a result of he could not discover any common rice on the supermarkets close to his home.

Empty rice cabinets at supermarkets in Osaka and Chiba (Japan) (Photograph: NVCC).

“At present, the supermarkets round my space are out of rice. For the previous 5 days, I’ve had to purchase sticky rice to eat. Black sticky rice in Japan may be very dry and onerous when cooked, so I am unable to eat a lot of it. To keep away from starvation, I boil extra greens and meals,” Duc mentioned.

For dinner on August 22, Duc switched to on the spot noodles as a result of he was nearly out of sticky rice. Every single day, the Vietnamese male employee stopped by the grocery store close to his home to purchase rice, however the cabinets have been nonetheless empty.

“Per week in the past, when Japan warned of an earthquake and tsunami, native individuals rushed to replenish on rice. Main supermarkets introduced that every particular person may solely purchase 1 bag of rice and 2-3 bottles of water. Nonetheless, because of the sudden enhance in demand, these important meals objects have been all purchased out.

That point, I used to be fortunate to purchase 2kg of rice at a retailer 7km from my home. Earlier than, after I went to the grocery store, I’d stand for 5-10 minutes, selecting the most effective rice to purchase, however now there isn’t a rice to eat. My firm director additionally went to many locations to assist purchase it however there was none,” Duc shared.

Unable to purchase common rice, Vietnamese employees in Japan purchase sticky rice to combine with sesame and crimson beans to prepare dinner (Photograph: NVCC).

In Nishiyodogawa, Osaka Metropolis, Pham Van Ngoc went to 7-8 shops however nonetheless couldn’t discover any rice. The Vietnamese employee was fairly apprehensive as a result of he had nearly eaten up the 10kg of rice he purchased half a month in the past.

The younger man mentioned that earlier than, 10kg of rice value about 3,600 yen (greater than 600,000 VND), however now the worth of rice has nearly doubled, 3,000 yen can solely purchase 5kg of rice.

“Rice is pricey however not accessible. The grocery store limits every particular person to 1 bag. I used to be fortunate to purchase 10kg half a month in the past. My pal was pressured to purchase 30 pre-cooked rice packing containers to replenish,” Ngoc mentioned.

Kha Duc Lengthy, a Vietnamese employee working in Chiba province, Japan (Photograph: NVCC).

In the identical scenario as Ngoc, Kha Duc Lengthy (from Nghe An) went to almost 10 supermarkets in Izumi, Osaka, however couldn’t discover rice. Lengthy posted on Vietnamese teams in Osaka to discover a place to promote rice, but it surely was additionally not possible.

“Generally the grocery store provides a couple of baggage of rice, however they’re all gone in a flash. As of late, each Vietnamese and Japanese employees go ‘looking’ and stocking up on meals. The gap from my firm to my house is 17km, passing greater than 10 supermarkets, however I am unable to purchase rice,” Lengthy mentioned.