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In Japan, where people are frequently exposed to natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis, disaster preparedness is a way of life. At schools, workplaces, and homes, people keep emergency food supplies?commonly referred to as "disaster prevention food"?in case they are isolated for several months or longer. Most disaster prevention foods are retort pouch meals or canned goods that can be prepared with just water and heat, but recently, snacks such as potato chips have started to establish themselves as part of disaster food supplies.

After the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, there was a boom in "disaster prevention goods" in Japan. This term refers to essential items and food with a shelf life of up to 25 years or more, prepared to ensure survival for at least several months in the event of sudden isolation due to a disaster.

An image of "Disaster Prevention Potato Chips" published in the Asahi Shimbun. It is a disaster prevention food developed in collaboration between Toa and Koikeya during the 2021 Tokyo disaster drill.

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For a long time, dried foods and canned goods that can be preserved for up to 25 years according to disaster prevention standards have been the mainstream. However, this trend has been gradually changing. There is now a growing practice of regularly replenishing emergency food supplies with ordinary snacks that have a shelf life of 5 to 6 months, making them part of disaster food stockpiles.

Major local governments are also recommending the inclusion of disaster prevention snacks. During a disaster drill in Tokyo in 2021, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government collaborated with the well-known Japanese potato chip manufacturer Koikeya to produce disaster prevention potato chips, which were distributed to citizens. Since then, Koikeya has been selling potato chips specially packaged for disaster prevention purposes.

Koikeya's disaster prevention potato chips come in a specific flavor: the steady-selling "Seaweed and Salt Potato Chips". These potato chips are flavored with locally produced seaweed powder and rock salt. They were not chosen as disaster food simply because of their popularity. A research team at Tokyo Kasei University, at the request of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, analyzed the ingredients of various snacks and confirmed that "potato chips containing potatoes, oil, and salt are the most efficient way to obtain energy."

Potato chips also have an advantage over other snacks in terms of shelf life. The research team at Kasei University explained, "Disaster prevention food is meant to be stockpiled and consumed on a regular basis, and the shelf life should be at least six months. This is why potato chips were found to be the most suitable option."

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Disaster prevention snacks are still evolving. The Japanese yokan manufacturer Imuraya succeeded in developing "Chocolate Red Bean Yokan" with a shelf life extended to five years and six months through repeated research. Since its launch, more than 30 million units of chocolate red bean yokan have been sold. Special attention was also given to the packaging: a glow-in-the-dark character "備 (Preparation)" is printed on the package so that it can be easily found even in dark places.

The famous Japanese biscuit "Bisco", known for its crumbly cookies with a sweet spread, has also been adapted as a disaster prevention food. Glico, the manufacturer of Bisco, sells Bisco stored in canned containers for disaster prevention purposes, and the shelf life of these Bisco biscuits is more than 10 years.

If an earthquake with a magnitude of around 7.0 to 9.0 strikes the city center, the supply of water, electricity, and gas is highly likely to be cut off. Snacks can be consumed immediately without any preparation, providing nutrition quickly, and are therefore included in disaster relief food supplies. DALL·E3

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Why did Japan start including snacks in emergency food supplies? The answer lies in practical considerations. Traditional disaster food has the advantage of a long shelf life and textures similar to rice, soup, or bread, making it relatively easy to adapt to. However, cooking these foods requires water and heat. If an earthquake with a magnitude of around 7.0 to 9.0 strikes an urban area, there is a high likelihood that the supply of water, electricity, and gas will be cut off. When a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, in January 2024, about 40,000 households were left without water for a month.

On this topic, Verojirasole, a Japanese disaster preparedness influencer and emergency food review blogger, emphasized, "Disaster prevention food means portable food that can be eaten in any environment. In other words, you have to assume situations where cooking is completely impossible or where water must be conserved. This is why snacks that can be eaten immediately without any preparation and provide nutrition are necessary."