Restaurants and bars are not the only ones that have been hit hard by the new state of emergency. Food suppliers and producers, which have not been able to do business with their usual clients, are trying to find new sales channels, such as mobile sales and online, to directly connect to consumers.
"The meat of this sea bream is thick and good for sashimi," Kazuhiko Wada called out, attracting passersby to his van, which was parked in front of a high-rise housing complex in Minato Ward, Tokyo, around noon on Jan. 15.
Wada is the president of Kamewa Shoten, a fisheries wholesaler at Toyosu Market in Koto Ward.
The back of his van was a refrigerated display case showing such seafood as horse mackerel, yellowtail and fresh oysters, and cod and shrimp looked good for hot pot dishes.
"They are directly from the market and different [from what I can buy at stores,]" said Sachiko Tanaka, who lives in the neighborhood. "I'm refraining from eating out these days, so it's great that I can buy stuff like that served at restaurants."
When the first state of emergency was declared in April last year, Kamewa's sales dropped 70% from a year earlier. People gradually started eating out following the lifting of the state of emergency, and then started refraining again when infection resurged around November. The situation lead to the number of orders from high-class hotels and restaurants decreasing sharply.
Wada bought a special vehicle for about 4 million yen in early December and started mobile sales in central Tokyo.
"I'd never sold retail, but it's satisfying because I can see the faces of people who actually eat [what I sell]," he said. "As long as we are selling, producers can ship fish."
Food Supply, a vegetable and fruit wholesaler in Tokyo's Ota Ward started a drive-through greengrocer. One popular item is a set of about 20 kinds of vegetables and fruits for 3,500, yen and the store attracts hundreds of visitors some days. Customers open their vehicle's trunks and have staff load items in cardboard boxes into them. It is a smart way to prevent infections, too.
Live yamame trout kept in a bag with fresh water and oxygen are selling well online. The item is sold by the Tamagawa fish farm in the village of Kosuge, Yamanashi Prefecture, located at the headwaters of the Tamagawa river.
In order to preserve their freshness, a bag of three trout for 2,650 yen can only be delivered to the Kanto region, and the farm has sold 1,500 fish so far. The fish arrive the day after shipping, and they can be fried or grilled with salt. The website introduces buyers how to clean them.
"You can also 'catch' live fish at home. Children who can't go out may enjoy it," the farm's representative said.
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