Prices for 614 food, drink items to be hiked in June

614 items I won't be buying. Already adjusted my life to cut out excessive and overpriced stuff.

What a mess this country is in.

I guess prices going up for snacks is good thing for me. I mean, I don't need to eat snacks therefore I don't need to buy them.

Instant fried noodles?

Aren't these the fuel of the salary man?

I expect a riot.

If you look at Japan's inflation rate, you will get terrified. In the past 5 years, almost everything doubled and trippled in price, including living expenses and food. If you check the salary statistics it is a paradox.

Sallaries this year are lower than the last year's and at the 80's level.

The lack of Unions and Syndicates are extremely bad for Japanese workers, since they basically cannot demand or ask for wedge increase out of fear and complacent.

Thing are going to be very Grimm in the next years...

You expect a riot Piskian?

I don’t.

I expect nothing to happen and then I expect the LDP to be re-elected.

As per usual.

As they watch their savings and life chances disappear steadily down the gurgler, those with escape options are beginning to contemplate and prepare for contingencies that don’t necessarily preclude emulating those flyjin of yore.

Ah Japan....going to the dogs.

Prices for 614 food and drink items will be increased in June, with more likely to follow,

I think it's time to move on from living in Japan.

Just isn't worth it anymore

Such a shame as Japan used to be awesome

Stewart GaleToday  05:01 pm JST

What a mess this country is in.

Food price increases have been higher than Japan in the US/EU/UK.

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/rankings_by_country.jsp?title=2023&displayColumn=3

Prices increases for food stuffs are naturally annoying. But I don't think you'll find less price attractive medical care in any developed country.

Mr GoodmanToday  06:34 pm JST

Prices for 614 food and drink items will be increased in June, with more likely to follow,

I think it's time to move on from living in Japan.

everywhere sucks now.

where are you going to go?

Isn't this what "Abenomics" wanted? inflation? Thus the BOJ doing the same thing Kuroda did the last 10years?

Unfortunately looks like taste of things to come. The Yen is very likely to weaken further this year, great for tourists bad for locals. More than hopeful BOJ will raise rates at the end of the year, they’ve given adequate warnings to debt holders of over 1 year to deal with loan consequences. Time to move on BOJ!

It makes no difference anymore, I am not buying any imported or processed foods learned to make great and delicious meals using locally grown Vegetables and meats.

NO canned, NO packaged, NO preserved, NO dried, NO processed, and NO junk foods what so ever. All fresh and hand made and I love it.

Oh sorry the only packaged foods I but is may favorite Nuts, and breads LOL.

Noodles are made from flour. Even the price of imported Canadian flour, which I buy for my bread, is holding its price. Japanese flour is also a good price.

According to IMF statistics, Japan's inflation rate is expected to remain in the 2% range in 2024. In comparison, global inflation will be around 6% even in 2024. Moreover, if the US raises interest rates, it will likely rise further.

Japan would like to avoid being dragged down by this and maintain the 2% range without raising interest rates. Abenomics aimed for an inflation rate of 2%.

A sudden depreciation of the yen will likely lead to the Japanese government intervening in the currency market, as it did recently.

If companies increase wages, Japan's economy will continue to grow.

Would have been a good article to run ... DURING MAY!!!

Timing is everything.

I tell you what I saw six dollar bag of Doritos in the US on my last trip and not buying them never felt so good.

Then just don’t buy them. It’s easy.

It's al BS

A subkind of communism, where except of the leading elites no one has much or enough money, but with the exception of still almost full shelves. What a mess with no future!

Some products, like orange juice, are no longer available or hard to find in supermarkets because of rain damage and a citrus disease outbreak in Brazil, from where Japan imports 90 percent of its orange juice.

So source it elsewhere or use locally grown oranges. Why the lame excuses for a basic grocery item?

It seems to me that a lot of this is the result of people charging so much because they can, not because they have to. Here in the US everything from housing to the cost of pencils has gone up radically. Food is expensive and when you buy it there is a lot (a darn lot) of "shrinkflation". Companies are rolling in it and the working class is struggling to get by now.

because it isn’t as easy as, “all you gotta do is…”

if it’s so simple, go source it, set up processing, packaging, shipping, customs, import admin, domestic distribution and sell it to supermarkets.

let us know how it goes.

Again?! How about raising our pay too!

Food price increases have been higher than Japan in the US/EU/UK.

OssanAmerica is comparing chalk with cheese.

Salaries are way higher than Japan so higher food prices aren’t as painful.

Furthermore, goods abroad in supermarkets are discounted much more than in Japan.

Options to buy 3 for 2 etc are uncommon in Japan but allow discounts at any time of the day.

Supermarkets in the UK never bin expired food but donate it to charities in the early morning.

Unsold discounted food is either sold (shop is closed) to employees or is binned!

Food banks are common in the US and the UK but I have yet to see any in Japan.

Prices increases for food stuffs are naturally annoying. But I don't think you'll find less price attractive medical care in any developed country.

No amount of medicine helps if people cannot buy food.

Oh, and inflation is falling in the UK at the moment unlike Japan.

I guess when interest rates in Japan are so out of whack with the rest of the world then it’s to be expected…

Typical JT government mouthpiece propaganda piece.

This article goes all out to attribute the upcoming price hikes for 614 food and drink items primarily to factors outside the control of the government and the BOJ. “It’s the rain in Brazil stupid!”

While these are certainly contributing factors, the article does not appear to adequately account for the significant impact of yen depreciation on import costs as a major driver of food inflation in Japan.

The article cites reasons such as heat, drought and rain (climate change being the underlying cause hinted at) as justifications for the price hikes by major Japanese food companies. However, a weaker yen makes importing ALL raw commodities substantially more expensive for Japanese firms.

There is no mention of how the over 30% depreciation of the yen against the US dollar since early 2022 is raising import costs across the board, including for food ingredients and finished products Japan relies on from overseas.

For a nation that imports about 60% of its food supply , the yen's dramatic slide is likely the primary culprit behind broad-based food inflation rather than just higher commodity prices alone.

The article also does not consider how yen weakness may be prompting Japanese food companies to raise prices preemptively to protect profit margins from further currency impacts down the line.

While rising logistics costs are briefly cited, an honest article would have explored whether those increased transportation expenses are themselves partially driven by higher fuel import bills due to the weaker yen.

So while factors like commodity prices and logistics costs are valid reasons mentioned, the article seems to be written to purposely overlook / deflect from the yen's depreciation as a critical factor squeezing Japanese food companies' costs and contributing to this latest round of price hikes across a wide range of products.

A more balanced analysis acknowledging currency impacts appears warranted given Japan's heavy import dependence for food. 

Japan Today would make the editors of Pravda blush.

Nobody cares about inflation rates and prices in USA or UK. We are talking about Japan here, the country where we work and live in.

The problem is, that the galopant inflation added to the crash on the Japanese Yen, made our salaries a joke compared to 3,4 years ago. That's the problem.

It’s funny how many downvotes any comments stating that Japan is in a mess got on this thread.

I guess the Japanophiles and Japanese contributors don’t like to read this uncomfortable truth.

DanteKH.....

If you look at Japan's inflation rate, you will get terrified. In the past 5 years, almost everything doubled and trippled in price, including living expenses and food. What are you talking about? Many prices have gone up but doubled? Tripled?

Double? Tripled? LOL

I was hoping for a list of "living expenses and foods" that have doubled or tripled over the past 5 years.

In Nagoya, there is a railroad called the Meitetsu line and they have increased their first class seating charge from ¥360 to ¥450/¥500 depending on if you buy the ticket at the station or on the train.

Blatant price gouging as having first class seating clearly does not cost them any more in terms of operating costs.

It’s this kind of rip-off practice that really annoys me.

I will never sit in these seats again as a matter of principle.