There's a Major Potato Chip Crisis Going on in Japan Right Now

Japan Is Dealing With a Potato Chip Crisis

Japanese potato chip brand Calbee Inc. has started a snack-based crisis in the country (Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

On this side of the Pacific, potato chips may be considered the trashiest of junk foods, but in Japan, each of those bags could be worth a small fortune.

According to Bloomberg, Japanese potato chip giant Calbee Inc. stopped production on 15 of its most popular brands, and in doing so, sparked a crisis. Consumers have been recorded paying as much as $12 a bag on online auction sites (bags normally retail for about $1.80).

At the center of the issue is a negative potato yield in Hokkaido, which was pummeled by typhoons last year. Bloomberg also notes that the crisis could extend beyond the potato chip world, potentially affecting fast food restaurants in the country.

One Canadian podcaster, who now lives in Kobe, Japan, tweeted this picture below.

The potato chip shortage in #Japan really is a thing! Check out the shelves in a local supermarket! #snacks #hokkaido #food pic.twitter.com/W1Va8pHKLN

— Kevin O’Shea (@jlandkev) April 12, 2017