Prices of 4,923 Food, Beverage Items to Rise in Japan in Sept.

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)--Prices of 4,923 products from 195 major food and beverage makers in Japan are set to rise in September, with the number of affected items up about threefold from a year earlier, Teikoku Databank Ltd. said Monday.

The number was the highest monthly total so far in 2026 and the fourth-largest on record, behind the figure posted in April 2023. The surge reflected higher crude oil prices amid tensions in the Middle East, as well as a weaker yen and rising logistics costs.

Price hikes for a total of 19,083 food and beverage items have been confirmed so far this year, putting the annual tally on track to exceed 20,000 for the second consecutive year. The fresh wave of price hikes is expected to make it even harder for consumers to make ends meet.

By category, seasoning products, such as soup bases and mayonnaise, accounted for the largest number of items subject to price hikes, at 1,959 items. The second-largest category was processed foods, such as frozen foods and fish paste products, at 1,848 items.

Kikkoman Food Products Co. will raise the prices of 107 items for households, including a popular 450-milliliter soy sauce product and a 500-milliliter soy sauce soup base product.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]