The alternative to monochrome packaging is empty shelves
When war closed the Strait of Hormuz in late February, it did not only disrupt the flow of oil — it quietly reached into the everyday lives of ordinary people thousands of miles away. Japan, long dependent on Middle Eastern naphtha for its plastics and inks, now faces a doubling of prices and a scarcity of materials that has forced even its most familiar consumer brands to adapt. Calbee's decision to strip color from its snack packaging is a small but telling sign of how thoroughly a distant conflict can reorder the material texture of daily life — and how fragile the assumptions beneath global supply chains have always been.
- The Iran conflict has effectively sealed the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off roughly 40 percent of the world's seaborne oil and triggering a cascading shortage of naphtha across Asian economies.
- Naphtha prices in Asia have nearly doubled since late February, squeezing manufacturers of ink, plastics, and packaging to the point where some are suspending products entirely rather than absorbing the cost.
- Calbee, Japan's iconic snack maker, will begin shipping fourteen products in black and white packaging on May 25 — not as a design choice, but because the alternative is empty shelves.
- Toyota, Hyundai, and food manufacturer Mizkan are among the companies reporting eroded profits, suspended product lines, and rising prices as the disruption ripples across industries.
- Japan's government is working to diversify naphtha imports toward the United States and other suppliers, but the transition will take time — leaving consumers to encounter the war in the packaging of their everyday snacks.
On May 25, the shelves of Japanese convenience stores will begin to look a little different. Calbee, one of the country's largest snack manufacturers, is rolling out black and white packaging for fourteen of its most popular products — crisps, prawn crackers, and other household staples. The change is not a design decision. It is a consequence of war.
When the Iran conflict erupted on February 28, it effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway through which roughly 40 percent of the world's seaborne oil passes. For Japan, which had been importing around 40 percent of its naphtha from the Middle East, the blockade created an immediate crisis. Naphtha, a refining byproduct essential to the manufacture of ink and plastics, has nearly doubled in price across Asia in the three months since. Calbee's colorless packaging is not a corporate quirk — it is a visible symptom of how a regional conflict can reshape the material world consumers encounter every day.
Calbee is not alone. Mizkan, another major Japanese food manufacturer, has suspended some product lines and raised prices after running short of polystyrene containers. Toyota and Hyundai have both reported that higher material costs and softening consumer demand are beginning to erode profits. Across Asia, companies dependent on petrochemical imports are cutting costs where they can and raising prices where they must.
The Japanese government has acknowledged the strain. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kei Sato confirmed that officials are working to stabilize supplies, while Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced in April that Japan is actively seeking naphtha from the United States and other suppliers beyond the Gulf. It is an admission that supply chains built on the assumption of stable Middle Eastern access may no longer hold. The diversification will take time — and in the meantime, Japanese shoppers will find the war quietly reflected in the packaging of their snacks.
On May 25, the shelves of Japanese convenience stores will begin to look different. Calbee, one of the country's largest snack manufacturers, is rolling out new packaging for fourteen of its most popular products—crisps, prawn crackers, and other items that have been staples in Japanese households for decades. The change is not aesthetic choice. It is a direct consequence of war in the Middle East and the effective closure of one of the world's most critical shipping lanes.
When the Iran conflict erupted on February 28, it severed the flow of goods through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which roughly 40 percent of the world's seaborne oil passes. For Japan, which depends on the Middle East for the majority of its energy and petrochemical supplies, the blockade has created a cascading crisis. Naphtha, a byproduct of oil refining used to manufacture ink and plastics, has become scarce. Prices in Asia have nearly doubled in the three months since fighting began. Calbee's decision to strip color from its packaging is not an isolated corporate choice—it is a visible symptom of how thoroughly a regional conflict can reshape the material world that consumers encounter in their daily lives.
Before the war, Japan imported roughly 40 percent of its naphtha from the Middle East. That dependency, once manageable, has become a vulnerability. The company says the temporary shift to black and white packaging is necessary to maintain a stable supply of products to stores. In other words, the alternative to monochrome packaging is no packaging at all—empty shelves. The decision affects some of Calbee's most recognizable brands, products that have occupied the same shelf space with the same visual identity for years. Starting in late May, Japanese consumers will reach for familiar snacks in unfamiliar wrapping.
Calbee is not alone in feeling the pressure. In early May, Mizkan, another major Japanese food manufacturer, suspended sales of some products entirely and raised prices on others after running short of polystyrene containers. Toyota and Hyundai have both reported that higher material costs and reduced consumer spending have begun to erode their profits. The disruption is not limited to snacks or automobiles. Across Asia, companies dependent on petrochemical imports are recalibrating their operations, cutting costs where they can, raising prices where they must, and hoping that supply chains stabilize before the damage becomes permanent.
The Japanese government has acknowledged the crisis. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kei Sato told reporters this week that officials are working to stabilize supplies and resolve bottlenecks. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced in April that Japan is actively diversifying its naphtha sources, looking beyond the Middle East to suppliers in the United States and elsewhere. It is a recognition that the old supply chains, built on the assumption of stable access to Gulf energy, may no longer be reliable. The shift will take time. In the meantime, Japanese shoppers will see the war reflected in the packaging of their snacks—a small, everyday reminder that global conflict has local consequences.
Notable Quotes
This measure is intended to help maintain a stable supply of products— Calbee
The government was working to stabilise and resolve any supply imbalances and bottlenecks— Japan's Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kei Sato
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does a snack company care about naphtha? It seems like an oil industry problem.
Naphtha is what you use to make the ink that prints color on packaging. When naphtha becomes scarce and expensive, the cost of producing colored packaging spikes. For a company like Calbee, that's a real hit to the bottom line, so they switch to black and white—it's cheaper and it keeps the product on shelves.
But couldn't they just absorb the cost and pass it to consumers?
They could raise prices, and some companies are doing exactly that. But there's a limit. If your snack suddenly costs 30 percent more, people buy less of it. Calbee is trying to keep prices stable while keeping supply stable. The packaging change is a compromise.
How long does this last?
That depends on when the Strait of Hormuz reopens and when naphtha prices fall back to normal. The government is also trying to source naphtha from the US and other places, which takes time to set up. So we're probably talking months, maybe longer.
Is this just Japan's problem?
No. Every Asian country that depends on Middle Eastern oil is facing the same pressure. But Japan is particularly exposed because it imports so much energy from the Gulf. Other manufacturers in South Korea, China, Vietnam—they're all dealing with similar supply shocks right now.
What does this tell us about global supply chains?
That they're fragile. We built them on the assumption that certain routes would always be open and certain suppliers would always be reliable. A single conflict can unravel months of planning. Companies are now learning that they need backup suppliers, backup routes, and the ability to pivot quickly. Calbee's black and white packaging is just the visible part of that reckoning.