Japan importers turn up noses at costlier lobster and foie gras

TOKYO -- If you're planning on taking that special date out to one of Tokyo's finer dining establishments to gorge on foie gras and feast on lobster, you may have to think again. Japanese importers are keeping Western gourmet ingredients off their purchasing menu, as a return to fine dining in Europe and the U.S. pushes prices up by double digits.

The higher prices come on top of already slack demand in Japan, where big events like weddings have resumed only relatively recently and wholesalers are still working their way through inventory bought before the pandemic crash.