Japan’s salarymen opt for ultra-cheap lunches as food prices continue to rise

This is the best summary I could come up with:

After two decades of deflationary entrapment, Japan is being forced to acclimatise to rising prices as a result of the war in Ukraine, supply chain issues and the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

That means leaner times for legions of sarariman – male office workers who habitually eat near their places of work at lunchtime, perhaps saving the lion’s share of their monthly allowance for obligatory afterwork drinks with colleagues.

Given the world’s third-biggest economy continues to grapple with a cost of living crisis in which more than 30,000 food items have risen in price in the past year, it is hardly surprising that frugality is topping the lunchtime menu of more salaried workers.

Another survey by the Japan unit of Edenred, a payment service provider, found that about 40% of male and female office workers had reined in their lunch expenses, while almost 70% said they had denied themselves their favourite dishes to save money.

In a show of solidarity, the Guardian scoured the streets of one part of the capital over the course of a working week, setting itself the challenge of eating at a different restaurant each day, while avoiding supermarket delicatessens and convenience stores – popular destinations for the lunch crowd.

What the meals lacked in fruit and vegetables – gyudon, a gyoza set lunch, ramen, soba noodles and, to finish, a Japanese curry – they made up for in value for money.

The original article contains 473 words, the summary contains 238 words. Saved 50%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

3 comments

- XD
- I expected someone to make this joke, but this still made me chuckle. Thanks for the laugh!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
After two decades of deflationary entrapment, Japan is being forced to acclimatise to rising prices as a result of the war in Ukraine, supply chain issues and the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
That means leaner times for legions of sarariman – male office workers who habitually eat near their places of work at lunchtime, perhaps saving the lion’s share of their monthly allowance for obligatory afterwork drinks with colleagues.
Given the world’s third-biggest economy continues to grapple with a cost of living crisis in which more than 30,000 food items have risen in price in the past year, it is hardly surprising that frugality is topping the lunchtime menu of more salaried workers.
Another survey by the Japan unit of Edenred, a payment service provider, found that about 40% of male and female office workers had reined in their lunch expenses, while almost 70% said they had denied themselves their favourite dishes to save money.
In a show of solidarity, the Guardian scoured the streets of one part of the capital over the course of a working week, setting itself the challenge of eating at a different restaurant each day, while avoiding supermarket delicatessens and convenience stores – popular destinations for the lunch crowd.
What the meals lacked in fruit and vegetables – gyudon, a gyoza set lunch, ramen, soba noodles and, to finish, a Japanese curry – they made up for in value for money.
The original article contains 473 words, the summary contains 238 words. Saved 50%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!