Prices to rise in Japan on over 10,000 food items

Meanwhile, our wages stay exactly the same.

The prices in N. America on vegetables, fruits and meat are still much higher than Japan but for how much longer.

Making life even more unaffordable!

They have been rising for months already.

The prices in N. America on vegetables, fruits and meat are still much higher than Japan but for how much longer.

Really? Tell me the last time anyone in N. America paid ￥20,000 for one mango or perhaps ￥10,000 for a bunch of grapes? How about ￥300 for an apple ?

Prices would be 16 percent higher on average from the current level, up 3 percentage points from a year earlier, according to Teikoku Databank Ltd data as of Jan 31.

Zoroto, I agree, I have no idea what this means. But I'm pretty sure that inflation is now running a lot higher than the current 3% we are told it is. I know that it takes time for prices to rise, but oil has kind of stabilized as has the yen which is now down some 20 yen since its highs of last year. But still we are being told it is because of oil and the weak yen that we are now having these mass increases in prices!

The prices are increasing across the board, due to more than just inflation. How things literally get to market here is a huge problem. There are countless middle-men, taking their cut along the way, that forces the end seller to raise their prices.

Some are raising prices, because they can, not because they need to, and the thing to look for is the end of year sales figures and profits being made. They will come up with excuses to justify it, but one does not need to raise prices when you are buying in such bulk that you are actually getting discounts. (AEON)

Prices would be 16 percent higher on average from the current level, up 3 percentage points from a year earlier, according to Teikoku Databank Ltd data as of Jan 31.

Zoroto, this probably means that the actual price increase will be 16% higher than now, but according to the "official" inflation numbers the government spews, its only 3% (which is just 1% higher than their much-touted target of 2%).

Prices would be 16 percent higher on average from the current level, up 3 percentage points from a year earlier, according to Teikoku Databank Ltd data as of Jan 31.

I think it's unclear because the time line is missing. But it means that current prices are up 3% from last year and that future prices (one year from now perhaps?) will be up 16% from current level based on the new survey.

The prices in N. America on vegetables, fruits and meat are still much higher than Japan but for how much longer.

Fruit is much cheaper in N America than Japan. Most vegetables are cheaper. Meat? I don't buy much of that so can't truly compare.

Anyone visiting Japan from N America is stunned the first time they see the price of fruit in a Japanese supermarket.

Things are already expensive enough with many people suffering.

Things are just going from bad to worse.

Last month we reduced our household spending by 20%. Buy more price reduce items, especially meat which we can store in the freezer.

Milk was a 10% up already. And I stopped buying cheese because the price has doubled. If they keep raising the prices half of the population will not be able to afford food.

Of course this situation doesn't affect anyone in the LPD or their acolytes.

Freedom has a price, that’s it. If you don’t like that and want instead less products , fixed and cheap prices then make your daily shopping in Pyongyang, Havanna or Beijing and such.

I was at the supermarket ( MaxValu) the other day to buy eggs.

10 eggs were about ¥200 or so .

They have upped the price to ¥250 !!

I don't see how these sudden rises are justifiable!

I don't see any rises in people's wages.

Japan is truly a troubled place financially.

10 eggs were about ¥200 or so .

They have upped the price to ¥250 !!

The eggs are smaller too I noticed.

So let's just call a spade a spade. 16% inflation then. And seems more than that even when annualised and you consider you pay way more for less. It's the shrinkage that is also the killer.

Reason: central banking-forced military spending

Of all price increases the egg one I can understand. With millions of chickens being culled because of bird flu, there is just not enough eggs to go around, so there is a shortage and that drives up the prices. Everything else, I feel as other posters have stated we are being gouged in a sense.

The fiscal irresponsibility of this government continues. Japans a country that's built on the "illusion of doing work". So when work actually needs to be done its never efficient.

They keep using the yen as an excuse while it has been gaining strength the last couple of months. The reality is that the more news about other brands and products having to raise prices the more other companies will see this as an opportunity to raise their own prices with less backlash.

Blaming Covid and the war in Ukraine doesn’t make sense when multinationals continue to make high profits on sales.

The Bank of Japan is playing a very dangerous game as they refuse to address the real inflation and weak wage growth. CPI is 4.3% but PPI - 10.2%. With the weak yen, inflation is much worse than what the government wants us to believe. One third of the country is on fixed income so there is a lot of pain

With the continuing massive price rises and no wage rises, something will have to give. Society will become very unstable, with street robberies and house robberies becoming prevalent everywhere. Inevitable.

Noone needs junk like confectionary. These items will just get cut from the grocery shop completely, then the manufacturers can earn 0.

Japan food giants getting even more greedy. Good luck to everyone in Japan that are financial struggling to eat.

Japan needs to stop denying science and approve GMO crops. It would allow farmers to produce more high quality food.

For those who chose to compare apples and bananas regarding N. American food prices to Japan. From friends on both sides of the boarder are telling me what they are paying for food a dozen eggs 8 or 9 dollars, milk too, fruits are in the same ballpark.

Yes, you can buy an apple for 300 yen if you are looking for that perfect specimen. For me, I go to Yamada and other discount stores, I can get 10 eggs from 100 to 200 yen, 5 bananas from 90 yen to 130 yen and 5 apples for 300 to 500 yen and that is all year round. One big point, I don't live in the center of Tokyo, the suburbs of Tokyo where prices are more reasonable.

It’s happening everywhere. Not only here in Japan. Good reason to start with my diet program.

With food and electricity prices rising rapidly and wages stagnant it is only a matter of time before the governments wish of a higher birth rate is met.

there is a worldwide phenomenon- Egg factories are being burned down, food manufacturing are being burned down, milk from farms are spilt because of regulations, farms are being heftily fined to oblivion, eating pork, beef and chicken are discouraged because they contribute to increase CO2, fertilizers are being banned, Ukraine and Russia being the top producers of grain are brought into conflict, and there is intentional disruption of the supply chain. While the start-ups for artificial lab grown meat are subsidized and financed as well as food manufacturing companies that use insects and bugs. This is what these elites want to mock humanity.

"The prices in N. America on vegetables, fruits and meat are still much higher than Japan but for how much longer."

People always try to use this as the "shouganai" approach and to avoid having to feel upset at the powers that be. It's also hogwash. Vegetables, fruit, and meat are ALL cheaper in the US and in many other nations, save for some imported items, maybe. PLUS, they are seeing wage hikes, student debt relief, and various other factors. Here? The companies lifting the prices are getting breaks and massive subsidies, then saying "Nah" when the government asks them to increase wages. And first the excuse was gas prices, but since those are down they've had to make other excuses. War in Ukraine! Nah... price spikes caused by that are down, so we can't keep blaming that.

We're a family of five so this affects me big time. We heat with electricity and that's got painful too.

I blame the war though, not Japanese politicians. If someone can point out a country or countries where none of this is happening, I'll let change that opinion. As currently fought, I don't see the war ending anytime soon.

Inflation! No expert on economics but some are predicting a worldwide recession later in the year.

say thank you to Kishida!

do not forget in June electricity will be up to 30-45%

Prices rise, wages remain the same while J-corp rakes in healthy profits.

When will there be a massive wave of strike action to force inflation matching wage rises out of stubborn employers, as in normal countries? Or will the Japanese workers simply continue to gaman themselves?

@umbrella: There will not be. You clearly haven't been here very long.

Well hallelujah! The BOJ has been looking for inflation for 30 years, they finally got it = all is great now, no?

Hardship us ahead, when taxes were going to raise soon!

Prices would be 16 percent higher on average from the current level, up 3 percentage points from a year earlier

Of course the minimum wage/paychecks will also be on the high rise too, right? Asking for a friend!

The answer is a simple one. Abolish sales tax on food.

I find Japan to be cheap for food compared to western countries. I found great steak on sale the other day. I think people only think of expensive fruit in Japan, but now it is strawberry picking season and they are the same price as usual.

Prices up, taxes up, same wages. Next is the consumption tax to 12%?

Temyong Today  09:24 am JST

there is a worldwide phenomenon- Egg factories are being burned down, food manufacturing are being burned down, milk from farms are spilt because of regulations, farms are being heftily fined to oblivion, eating pork, beef and chicken are discouraged because they contribute to increase CO2, fertilizers are being banned, Ukraine and Russia being the top producers of grain are brought into conflict, and there is intentional disruption of the supply chain. While the start-ups for artificial lab grown meat are subsidized and financed as well as food manufacturing companies that use insects and bugs. This is what these elites want to mock humanity.

Yup. Time to start burning the elites' home to the ground, preferably with them locked inside. They won't get the message otherwise, because voting and elections makes no difference to people at that level. They're happy to send other people off to be killed in pointless wars, so they should be subject to the same risk themselves.

Fertilizer futures have come back down to earth so food inflation should slow down after the peak prices have worked there way through the system.

You lot make me laugh, Just using the word 'Elites' makes you sound like fools.

I ask the shop keepers, did this go up in price? Why.

Then, say, well my wallet feeling the pinch, and don't buy.

They give feedback to their bosses, and then store managers complain to head quarters, then head quarters tell the manufactures. Only if you give feed back will the prices ever come down. Make them learn through your wallet.

Indeed, some are legitimate increases, but others are pure greed, and jumping on the bandwagon feeling this is a chance to charge more and make more.

Please Alf - Define 'Elite'

theResidentToday  01:26 pm JST

Please Alf - Define 'Elite'

If you haven't figured it out yet, that's not my problem. If by now you can't see the blatant manipulation of news to shift attention away from real problems and the people who cause them and get away scot-free, not much I can do for you.

The inflation we're getting now is one big problem, but the people who're primarily responsible for it are telling everyone to look the other way and suck it up. So while we're all here complaining about the price of vegetables in Japan, they're making a killing in a war in Europe, selling fuel and energy at high prices while manipulating the supply (which jacks up the price of just about everything else), and racking up public debt like tomorrow doesn't matter.

If this were a dictatorial system like China, the old USSR, Cambodia or a socialist kleptocracy like Venezuela, you'd be awake to it and hopping mad. I'm not trying to be rude here, it's just that because we're living in an ostensibly democratic system, most people think that the super-rich and others with disproportionate power an influence - the WEF crowd, for instance - just don't exist because our system of checks and balances weeds them out. But it doesn't, and the state of the Western world and Japan, etc. is proof. These people have the very same mindset as the top dogs in the CCP, the old USSR, and any old past despotic regime: they're sociopaths and psychopaths, and they're doing what such people do. Namely, manipulate others for personal gain without conscience. That's how they're wired.

Ignoring their existence and deeds isn't going to make them go away. There are solutions, but they're not pretty in the short term.

Japan has been late to the inflation and covid party. I was hoping that Japan and some other countries did not attend either party.

I’m a business owner so luckily I will be able to keep up with this by increasing my own prices

I feel sorry for those who are in a position that their wages/salaries will not increase

@zoroto

Percentages and percentage points? A different way of looking at the same thing. If inflation rises from 4% a year to 5% a year, then there has been a 25 percent increase in the rate of inflation or a 1 percentage point increase.

The 16 percent increase in the article is 3 percentage points if the initial rate of inflation is 18.75%.

Which cheap, safe and effective medicines have been denied to us?

Paracetomol is cheap and easy to come by. Good for reducing fevers.

Dexamethasone also cheap. Pennies in fact.

I’m a business owner so luckily I will be able to keep up with this by increasing my own prices.

I feel sorry for those who are in a position that their wages/salaries will not increase.

@Kenchi Unless you're in the business of selling fuel, electricity or essential food products your business will suffer if the man in the street has less money in his pocket.

The rising costs of food and fuel affect all the working people. We are supposed to receive energy support from the government from this month.

Wow, I can't believe many of the people here didn't see this coming. Once the price of oil went up everything else follows. Gas, electrics, food, and water. The reason why most people feel the increase is the inflated prices now consume a lot of their take home pay, and and their wages have not increased and as people see prices going up their spending habits have changed. Homelessness, and hunger will eventually become a bigger issue when that happens you will see more people giving up hope as we are seeing the minor signs already.

I find Japan to be cheap for food compared to western countries. 

Food is relatively cheap compared to my country other than beef and fruit. The mandatory health and pension payments are very expensive in Japan. City hall taxes are about the same.

It’s important to increase the value of the product not only increasing the price for the manufacturers. It’s also important to find ways to enjoy our meal s with limited budget for us consumers.

Basic stuff is becoming more expensive here in Tokyo, and it's going to get much worse over the course of the following months.

If you're unemployed or retired, your savings will become depleted at an ever increasing rate, leaving you with little choice other than to try and go back to work - but to what work ?

I have said this before, I believe "Crime" will start to rise, but, the type of crime and the reason for it will become depressing for all to read. Expect to read of Children shop-lifting food items, as an example, doing so not for fun, but because that one item may be the only item they have to eat that day!

If you're one of the 1.x Million Foreigners living and working in Japan, then you will most certainly be at the bottom of the list for assistance, and this will sadly inevitably make you think whether its worth staying in Japan for the long run, which will further exasperate Japan's problem of a diminishing workforce.

Japanese Nationalism will become more outspoken too, with those who are in dire situations, looking to them for the truth and a solution for their problems.... this is simply a replica of what happens in other Countries during such times.

I hope that none of the above predictions come true, for it they do, then we're going to all be in for a very hard time going forward - and Historically speaking, War tends to be the Human pressure cooker way of letting off such built up steam/pressure.

I hope that none of the above predictions come true

It would make for a great movie. But the likelihood of this happening in Japan are pretty much nil.

Over ten thousand items will have price increases? How many items left untouched? One? Or two? Or maybe 5? Now is the time for the public to stage a food refusal till death protest.

The key Q? is will wages also rise to match the trend? NO NO NO.

So what will happen?

Simply people will get by switching Brands, Super Markets, Life Style, Putting off things, and so on.

No new Car, No new Smart Phone, No new TV, No new Laundry Machine, etc.

Until wages are increased the consumers do what they have always done, Close Their Wallets.

"Simply people will get by switching Brands..."

How does switching brands lower the cost of food?