Japan Food Inflation

Food prices in Japan increased by 5.1% year-on-year in December 2025, slowing from a 6.1% gain in the previous month and marking the slowest rise since November 2024. Costs moderated for cereals (14.7% vs 15.8% in November), beverages (7.7% vs 8.4%), cakes and candies (8.6% vs 8.8%), meals eaten out (4.0% vs 4.2%), and prepared foods (5.7% vs 6.3%). At the same time, prices of fresh vegetables fell for the first time in six months (-7.1% vs 1.2%). Among staples, rice prices increased 34.4% from a year earlier, slowing from a 37.1% rise in November and posting the slowest increase in 16 months amid Tokyo’s ongoing efforts to ease persistent upward pressure on staple food costs. Simultaneously, fresh fruit prices fell further (-5.8% vs -3.5%). In contrast, inflation accelerated for dairy products and eggs (7.8% vs 7.7%), oils, fats, and seasonings (4.5% vs 4.2%), meat (4.7% vs 4.3%), fish and seafood (6.6% vs 5.8%), and alcoholic beverages (4.7% vs. 4.9%).