TOKYO: The prices of 4,923 food and beverage items in Japan are set to rise in September, up more than threefold from a year earlier and the most for a month in more than three years, a research firm's survey showed Monday (Aug 31), Kyodo News reported.
The surge reflects a jump in prices of crude oil and naphtha caused by West Asia crisis, which had a knock-on effect of driving up the cost of packaging materials, Teikoku Databank said. Naphtha, a raw material derived from crude oil, is used to produce plastics.
Higher personnel and logistics costs and rises in import product prices from the weakening yen also prompted companies to raise prices, according to the survey, which covered 195 major food manufacturers.
The figure compares with 1,467 items in September last year and was the highest for a month since April 2023, when Japan saw increases in food prices begin to pick up amid rising inflation.
While major convenience store chains recently said they would lower the prices of some rice ball items, labour and logistics costs are expected to continue to rise.
"Price cuts are unlikely to spread across the food manufacturing sector," a Teikoku Databank spokesperson said.
For the whole of 2026, the number of food and beverage items with price increases is expected to top last year's figure of 20,609, with prices of more than 3,000 items expected to rise in October, Teikoku Databank said.
The largest segment among items set for price hikes in September was seasoning products such as Kikkoman Corp.'s soy sauce and Mizkan Holdings Co.'s vinegar, with 1,959 items to rise in price next month.
Processed food followed at 1,848 items as companies such as Nissui Corp. and TableMark Co. prepare to increase prices for frozen foods. - Bernama-Kyodo
