Japan’s food prices rose 3.5% year-on-year in July 2026, accelerating from 3.2% in June and marking the fastest increase since February. Price pressures strengthened across fresh vegetables (6.6% vs 2.8%), fresh fruit (2.4% vs 0.2%), cakes and candies (6.1% vs 5.6%), fish and seafood (9.0% vs 7.6%), meats (3.9% vs 3.5%), alcoholic beverages (0.6% vs 0.5%), and meals eaten out (1.7% vs 1.6%). Meanwhile, price growth eased for dairy products and eggs (3.5% vs 4.5%), oils, fats and seasonings (3.4% vs 4.0%), prepared foods (3.5% vs 3.7%), and beverages (5.5% vs 5.9%). Cereal prices fell for a third straight month (-2.2% vs -2.1%). Notably, rice prices dropped 11.6% year-on-year, extending their decline for a third consecutive month and marking the steepest fall since August 2005. source: Ministry of Internal Affairs & Communications

Cost of food in Japan increased 3.50 percent in July of 2026 over the same month in the previous year. Food Inflation in Japan averaged 2.83 percent from 1971 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 31.60 percent in February of 1974 and a record low of -3.70 percent in November of 1999. This page provides the latest reported value for - Japan Food Inflation - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. Japan Food Inflation - values, historical data and charts - was last updated on September of 2026.

Cost of food in Japan increased 3.50 percent in July of 2026 over the same month in the previous year. Food Inflation in Japan is expected to be 3.20 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Japan Food Inflation is projected to trend around 2.20 percent in 2027 and 2.00 percent in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Related Last Previous Unit Reference
CPI Clothes and Footwear 100.50 101.60 points Jul 2026
Inflation Rate Ex-Food and Energy YoY 1.90 1.70 percent Jul 2026
CPI Education 95.40 95.50 points Jul 2026
CPI Food 103.10 102.40 points Jul 2026
CPI Housing Utilities 101.00 100.90 points Jul 2026
CPI Recreation and Culture 102.00 100.90 points Jul 2026
CPI Transportation and Communication 102.90 102.20 points Jul 2026
Food Inflation 3.50 3.20 percent Jul 2026
Goods Inflation 2.70 2.20 percent Jul 2026
Inflation Rate YoY 1.90 1.60 percent Jul 2026
Inflation Rate MoM 0.40 0.30 percent Jul 2026
Rent Inflation 0.50 0.50 percent Jul 2026
Services Inflation 1.20 1.10 percent Jul 2026
Tokyo Core CPI YoY 1.80 1.70 percent Aug 2026
Tokyo CPI YoY 1.90 1.80 percent Aug 2026
Tokyo CPI Ex Food and Energy YoY 2.00 1.80 percent Aug 2026


Japan Food Inflation
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
3.50 3.20 31.60 -3.70 1971 - 2026 percent Monthly
NSA

News Stream
Japan Food Prices Rise the Most in 5 Months
Japan’s food prices rose 3.5% year-on-year in July 2026, accelerating from 3.2% in June and marking the fastest increase since February. Price pressures strengthened across fresh vegetables (6.6% vs 2.8%), fresh fruit (2.4% vs 0.2%), cakes and candies (6.1% vs 5.6%), fish and seafood (9.0% vs 7.6%), meats (3.9% vs 3.5%), alcoholic beverages (0.6% vs 0.5%), and meals eaten out (1.7% vs 1.6%). Meanwhile, price growth eased for dairy products and eggs (3.5% vs 4.5%), oils, fats and seasonings (3.4% vs 4.0%), prepared foods (3.5% vs 3.7%), and beverages (5.5% vs 5.9%). Cereal prices fell for a third straight month (-2.2% vs -2.1%). Notably, rice prices dropped 11.6% year-on-year, extending their decline for a third consecutive month and marking the steepest fall since August 2005.
2026-08-21
Japan Food Sales Tax Set at 1% Under Takaichi’s Proposal
Japan plans to temporarily cut its sales tax on food and drinks to 1% for two years, Bloomberg reported. The government chose a low positive rate instead of zero to avoid the costly, time-consuming reprogramming of retailers’ cash registers; a 0% rate would take about a year to implement, while 1% could halve that timeline. To take effect in April 2027, the measure must still be legislated and passed by the Diet (parliament), with draft legislation expected in an extraordinary session in autumn 2026. Policymakers hope the measure will ease household burdens, though economists warned that prices may not fall as much as expected, limiting the benefit for consumers.
2026-07-29
Japan Food Prices Rise the Least in Near Two years
Japan's food prices increased 3.2% year-on-year in June 2026, slowing from 3.5% in May and marking the softest rise since July 2024. Price growth slowed for fresh vegetables (2.6% vs 3.8% in May), cakes and candies (5.7% vs 8.1%), prepared foods (4.2% vs 4.4%), and beverages (6.8% vs 8.7%). At the same time, cereal cost fell for the second straight month (-2.5% vs -0.9%) while fresh fruit prices stayed in deflation (-0.9% vs -1.6%). In contrast, inflation accelerated for fish and seafood (6.9% vs 5.5%), meats (4.3% vs 3.5%), dairy products and eggs (4.6% vs 3.6%), oils, fats, and seasonings (4.2% vs 3.9%), alcoholic beverages (0.4% vs 0.2%), and meals eaten out (1.2% vs 1.0%). Among staple foods, rice prices declined 8.7% from a year earlier, falling for the second consecutive month and registering the largest drop since August 2015.
2026-07-24