Japan’s fast-food chains face new headache

Already reeling from a handful of scandals, Japan’s fast-food industry faces a new problem: diners are no longer heading out for meals like they used to.

“Japanese consumers are choosing to buy their meals at convenience stores and eat at home,” said Japan Food Analyst Association (JFAA) chairman Hiroyuki Kamiya.

While the trend started a few years ago as convenience stores introduced new product lines, the consumption tax hike to 8 percent from 5 percent last April that pushed the economy into a technical recession and a string of employee exploitation scandals have accelerated the trend, he said.