Are you toilet paper hoarding (or seeing signs of it?!)

For those of us who were here in Japan during the peak COVID years, shortages of everyday essentials were very much a real thing. Toilet paper vanished, masks became almost impossible to find until the Abenomasks turned up, and things like hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, and even certain instant foods and pantry staples disappeared from shelves as anxiety started to spread. 

It seems like some of that scarcity mindset is back, and this time the concern appears to be linked to growing unease over the war in the Middle East. Reports on X (formerly Twitter) have mentioned drugstores running out of toilet paper, while other people are posting photos of their own "just in case" hauls.

The good news is that there doesn't seem to be any actual reason to panic this time. A fun fact I read online is that around 97% of Japan’s toilet paper is produced domestically, and manufacturers say there's no direct dependence on the Middle East for supply. In other words, any kind of shortages seem to be more psychological than practical.

Still, I'm curious if anyone else is noticing this in their areas of Japan. Have you seen shelves looking emptier than usual, or does it seem like business as usual?