In April, over 2,500 food items in Japan increased in price, putting continued pressure on household expenses.

A recent survey shows that after April, the Japanese market will see a new wave of clearly noticeable price increases, with the number of food categories exceeding 2,500. At the same time, electricity bills, gas fees, and the prices of some daily necessities will also rise in parallel, putting further pressure on people’s everyday living expenses.

The reporter said that the Teikoku Databank Company of Japan recently conducted a survey of 195 major food and beverage manufacturers nationwide to learn about their planned future price adjustments. The results show that in April alone, 2,516 food items in the Japanese market have been determined to increase in price, covering categories including instant noodles, various beverages, and edible oils, among others. This number sets a new record for the highest number of food price increases in a single month since 2026.

In terms of specific increases, the extent of the price hikes differs across various products. Among them, the highest price increase for quick-cooking noodles is about 11%, while the highest increase for some alcoholic beverage products is close to 20%. This means consumers will clearly feel the impact of price changes in their everyday meals.

Teikoku Databank’s analysis points out that this round of generally higher food prices is mainly related to several factors driving up costs. Rising raw material prices, increased packaging material expenses, and continuously higher labor costs have all put pressure on companies’ operations, ultimately reflected in the terminal (end-user) prices.

In addition to food prices, in many parts of Japan electricity bills and gas fees will also be raised starting in April. Meanwhile, the prices of daily items such as facial tissues and toilet paper will also be adjusted one after another. With multiple essential living expenses increasing at the same time, it is believed this will deliver a significant blow to the daily budgets of ordinary households.

Looking back at the earlier situation, in 2025 alone, more than 20,000 types of food in the Japanese market saw price increases, covering processed foods, beverages, and various seasonings. The number of food items with price hikes increased by about 60% compared with 2024. This trend shows that rising food prices are no longer a short-term phenomenon, but are gradually becoming the norm.

Since 2022, Japan’s overall price levels have been rising year after year due to factors such as the continued weakening of the yen and rising prices of imported goods. According to data released by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, as of this January, the core consumer price index has risen year over year for 53 consecutive months. In all of 2025, this index rose by 3.1%, and has already exceeded Japan’s official 2% target level for 4 consecutive years.

Against the backdrop of successive increases in food, energy, and daily necessities prices, many consumers are worried about the cost of living in the future. The market widely believes that if raw material and energy prices cannot fall in the short term, Japanese households will continue to bear substantial pressure in terms of food and essential living expenditures.