Fans of niche Japanese crisps brand panic after oil shortage halts production

TOKYO, March 17 (Reuters) - Die-hard fans of a niche Japanese crisps brand took to the internet on Tuesday to lament a production halt the snack maker Yamayoshi Seika blamed on a shortage of cooking oil caused by the conflict in the Middle East.

The U.S. and Israel's war on Iran and the resulting effective closure of the vital Strait of Hormuz have fuelled fears of a knock-on impact on prices in Japan. But news of the crisps brand's suspension is among the first tangible fallout for consumers.

Once the news spread, Yamayoshi Seika's "Wasabeef" became the third-most trending buzzword in Japan on social media platform X, with the company name trailing not far behind.

"I never expected the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to result in the production stoppage of Wasabeef," user @JoshuaGboyega5 posted on X. "I can't imagine life without Wasabeef!"

CEO Satoshi Kada said Yamayoshi Seika's heavy oil wholesaler had warned him in early March of an expected price hike of 20% to 30% and soon after said it could no longer send any supplies.

"We had no choice but to stop the factory," he told Reuters, adding that he did not know when production could resume.

Yamayoshi Seika, which was established in 1953, calls Wasabeef a "national brand" characterised by a flavour blending wasabi and savoury beef essence. The company has monthly sales of about 400 million to 500 million yen ($2.5 million to $3 million), Kada said.

Japan, which depends on the Middle East for around 95% of its crude oil supplies, this week began releasing about 80 million barrels of oil from its strategic reserves to mitigate disruptions.

($1 = 159.1400 yen)