Fears of panic buying are sweeping across Japan once again, with citizens rushing to stockpile toilet paper and everyday essentials over growing anxiety tied to the escalating Iran conflict and its potential impact on global supply chains.
The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has issued a public appeal urging calm, asking people not to buy in bulk. The intervention comes after social media posts showed empty drugstore shelves and photos of hoarded supplies — from toiletries and cat food to towers of Suntory beer – fuelling a cycle of fear-driven purchasing.
“The nearby drugstore was sold out of toilet paper! It seems like everyone’s stockpiling it,” one user posted on X, echoing a sentiment that has spread rapidly online.
A pattern Japan knows too well
The country has lived through this before. The 1973 oil crisis triggered a nationwide toilet paper hoarding frenzy that led to genuine shortages. Similar rushes followed the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and again during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each time, fear — not actual scarcity — was the real driver.
Now, with the Iran war raising questions about energy routes and Middle East stability, that same psychological trigger appears to have been pulled again.
Why the panic is misplaced
Experts and industry groups say the concern is fundamentally misplaced. Roughly 97% of Japan’s toilet paper is manufactured domestically, largely from recycled paper, meaning Middle East disruptions have virtually no bearing on supply.
Factories are operating normally, and manufacturers have confirmed they can ramp up production if demand spikes. There is no shortage at the source.
The real danger is the panic itself
Government officials have warned that hoarding creates the very problem people fear. When a portion of the population buys far more than it needs, shelves empty out – not because supply has failed, but because demand has been artificially distorted. That leaves others unable to find basic goods and breeds further anxiety in a self-reinforcing loop.
The message from Tokyo is clear: stay calm, buy what you need, and trust that the supply chain is holding steady.