Japan urges people to drink milk due to huge wastage!

A global image of Japan might be one of a high-tech country where disciplined citizens walk the streets just like the dreaded Yakuza, the Japanese mafia! Recently, however, Japan has attracted international attention for a very different reason. Milk! It appears that Japanese politicians are advocating for milk consumption. Milk is consumed during news conferences by ministers to emphasize their message. Even the Japanese Prime Minister has urged the Japanese to take a nourishing sip of milk after a major brand roped in a celebrity to encourage consumption.

Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister of Japan, said on Tuesday that he hoped the populace would drink more milk and use milk products when cooking. He spoke during a news conference held at the conclusion of the parliamentary session. Kishida is not the only one advocating this cause. At a press conference on December 17, Japan’s farm minister Genjiro Kaneko and Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike drank glasses of milk.

Efforts are being made to prevent huge amounts of milk from being wasted. The government has said in news reports that Japan faces 5000 tonnes of milk waste this winter. To prevent this, Japanese farmers have come together. They have agreed to purchase 1 liter of milk between December 25 and January 3. With the hashtag #1Lperday, they are drawing attention to their efforts on social media.

Industry giants and dairy companies have also stepped up. The convenience store chain of Lawson Inc. is offering a discount of 50% on steaming cups of hot milk. New Year celebrations are targeted and the discount is being offered on December 31 and January 1. The Meiji Holdings Company, a milk industry giant, has taken another step forward. A campaign to increase milk consumption is being run by Olympic wrestler Saori Yoshida.

The real reason behind it…

This time of year, Japan’s demand for milk is weaker. Most Japanese schools give milk to students. The holiday season nationwide has resulted in a huge amount of milk going unconsumed due to kids at home. Furthermore, major retailers temporarily close around this time of year. The covid pandemic has only complicated things further. Despite the hospitality industry’s recovery from the downturn, milk demand has been slow in this field.