4,225 Food, Beverage Prices to Go Up in Japan in April

Tokyo, March 31 (Jiji Press)--Major food and beverage makers are planning markups for 4,225 products in Japan in April, Teikoku Databank Ltd. said Monday.

The number of food and beverage items subject to price hikes will go up year on year for the fourth straight month to top 4,000 for the first time since October 2023, the private research firm’s survey showed.

“Rising wages and logistics costs are increasingly putting upward pressure on prices,” a Teikoku Databank official said, forecasting price hikes for around 20,000 products in total this year, up sharply from 12,520 the previous year.

Among the 195 companies, all leading producers of beers and quasi-beers will increase prices for the first time in one and a half years. Asahi Breweries Ltd. will raise shipping prices for the Super Dry beer and 225 other products, and Suntory Spirits Ltd. will lift the price of the 350-milliliter “Kinmugi” beer-like drink to around 196 yen from around 184 yen for sale at convenience stores.

Hams and sausages made by Prima Meat Packers Ltd. and Marudai Food Co. will also weigh more on family finances, and so will edible oils including the 1-liter Nisshin Canola Oil of Nisshin Oillio Group Ltd., whose sale price will go up some 11 pct.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]