Oct 23, 2025
A survey in Japan found almost all households feeling the effects of product price rises, especially for rice.
Expensive Rice
Kauche, a Japanese shopping-app provider, conducted a survey on price increases among 1,053 users nationwide late in September. Nearly everyone surveyed, or more than 99%, said that rising prices were a burden, with 81.6% saying they felt it “strongly” and 17.7% “somewhat.”
The item most affected by price increases was rice, as mentioned by 63.8% of the respondents; followed by vegetables, at 14.6%. Other items mentioned included snacks and beverages, meat, and seafood. In addition to the continued rice crisis in Japan, extreme summer heat has driven up agricultural prices, delivering another blow to household food budgets.
The area where households have cut back the most is food and dining out, at 47%, followed by hobbies and leisure, at 30.1%. Together, these two categories account for nearly 80% of reductions, showing that households are starting with the easiest things to limit.
As for changes in daily behavior, 57.5% said that they have become more interested in bulk purchases and special sales, followed by those who are purchasing items close to their expiration date or buying produce and other products discounted for irregularities.
The following sorts of comments received from survey respondents expressed their personal concerns: “My salary isn’t increasing so I don’t know what more I can cut back on.” “My children have to go without snacks these days.” Such remarks suggest that the financial strain is reaching the breaking point.
Data Sources
(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)