Prices of 1,380 Food Items to Go Up in Japan in Jan.

Tokyo, Dec. 26 (Jiji Press)--Japan’s 195 major food and beverage makers plan price hikes for a record 1,380 products in January amid rising logistics and labor costs, Teikoku Databank Ltd. said Thursday.

According to the private research firm, January markups will center on bread products.

Yamazaki Banking Co. is scheduled to increase prices of 290 items by 5.6 pct on average, including the mainstay Royal Bread sliced bread and the “Usukawa Tsubuan” sweet red bean bun.

Another major bread maker Pasco Shikishima Corp. plans hikes of 1 pct to 5 pct for the flagship “Chojuku” sliced bread and 234 other products.

Teikoku Databank also said consumers will have to pay more for a total of 6,121 items between January and April, with frozen food and alcoholic drink makers, in particular, rushing to boost prices following bread producers.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]