Now here's the news: Eggs, dentists and internet fraud

TOKYO — Each week, the weekly magazine Shukan Jitsuwa (Nov 28) serves up a potpourri of newsy tidbits titled "News Scramble." 

"Scramble" certainly applies to the price of eggs, which, due to such factors as the unusually hot summer and spread of avian influenza is once again on the rise. 

From the end of October 2022 to early April of 2023, 84 outbreaks of avian influenza were reported across 26 of Japan's prefectures, resulting in the culling of some 17,710,000 laying hens. That was the equivalent of 10% of the nations' chickens, which sent up the price of eggs by a factor of 1.5 fold. 

So far from April of the present year, 11 outbreaks in 10 prefectures have led to the culling of some 856,000 hens. 

"Compared with the previous season, bird flu outbreaks this year declined by 87%, and the number of culled hens fell by 95%," a reporter for a nationally circulated newspaper told the magazine. "Nonetheless, Japan had record-setting high temperatures, leaving many birds in a debilitated state, leading to a fall in egg production." 

"According to a trade publication issued by JA Zen-Noh (the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations), as of October 25, the average wholesale price in Tokyo for a kilogram of M-size eggs was ¥274 -- representing a rise for the past three consecutive months," a journalist covering consumer matters was quoted as saying. "As the year-end and new year approach, egg demand will increase for  sukiyaki, baked goods, oden (boiled hodgepodge) and other foods. If avian influenza persists, I suppose an eggu-shokku will be unavoidable." 

Somewhat ominously, during October, flu outbreaks were reported at poultry farms in Hokkaido, Chiba, Niigata and Shimane prefectures. 

Meanwhile, in the Diet elections held on Oct 27,  Agriculture Minister Yasuhiro Ozato, representing a district in Kagoshima Prefecture, was defeated, forcing his resignation from the cabinet. Hopefully, writes Shukan Jitsuwa's reporter, the countermeasures by Kozato's replacement won't come too late.  

Aging dentists

Along with aging of the general population, Japan is also seeing an aging of dentists. 

On Nov 6, the Teikoku Data Bank released a report on the trend toward failures of dental clinics. By the end of October 2024, 126 went out of business -- double the number in 2023 -- and of these, 25 had debts of over ¥10 million. 

This contrasts with 104 closures for all of 2023, clearly showing the profession is undergoing a host of problems.  

It's long been pointed out that Japan has more dental clinics than convenience stores, but recently along with supply and demand that affects the overall market environment, trained dental technicians are in short supply. What's more, the prices of silver and other metals used to fill cavities or construct dental bridges, etc., have undergone sharp increases, adding to costs, which can adversely affect the profitability of their operations. 

From April of last year, the adoption of the new My Number health insurance cards require online confirmation of a clinic's certification. This has required investment in pricy new equipment, which is believed to have pushed some clinics over the edge. 

True, more clinics have been buoyed by the rise in demand for cosmetic dentistry, such as whitening. However, that has also required investment in new equipment, pushing the older generation of clinicians to opt for shutting down, and in some cases declaring bankruptcy. 

It is ironic, the magazine writes, that while the number of elderly people who maintain their own teeth has been increasing, the dentists who should be caring for them are disappearing as they grow older. 

New type of internet fraud

Finally, new type of fraud via internet sales has become increasingly problematic. It involves refunds for goods claimed to be "out of stock." In Tokyo so far this year 138 such cases have been reported to the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan, involving losses totaling some ¥150 million. 

Citing one case, last May the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department was contacted by a woman in her 40s who had ordered a product priced at ¥15,000 from a cut-rate internet shop. "The product is out of stock," the company replied. "We will refund your money via PayPay."  

Then the customer was sent a "confirmation QR code" via the Line messaging service. 

Afterwards the woman was tricked out of a "large sum of money" via instructions she was asked to enter via net banking. 

According to police, such fraudulent cases have been soaring among victims of all ages and both genders. The Consumer Affairs Center warns people to be especially suspicious of sites where 1) luxury brand items or famous maker goods are priced  considerably lower than the going market rate; 2) merchandise with "strange or "unnatural" Japanese writing appears on the labeling; and 3) sites that don't post information about their refund policy. If an exchange of mails with the vendor takes place, alarms should be raised if a service representative informs a customer to the effect "A refund will be sent to you via 'XX-pay.'"

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