In February 2025, Japan experienced a 7.6% rise in food prices compared to the previous year, slightly easing from the 15-month peak of 7.8% observed in January. The increase in prices was more moderate for fresh vegetables, which rose by 28.0% compared to 36.0% in January, and fresh fruits, which went up by 20.8% compared to 22.7% in the prior month. Additionally, the cost of meats grew by 5.2%, down from 5.5%, while oils, fats, and seasonings saw a modest increase of 0.3%, compared to a 0.9% rise previously. Beverages experienced a 6.6% increase, improving from 7.6%. Meanwhile, the cost of alcoholic beverages continued its decline, registering at a -0.2% change, slight improvement over the prior month's -0.4%.
Conversely, the inflation rate for cakes and candies remained steady at 6.8%. There was a notable acceleration in prices for cereals, which surged by 21.9%, up from 18.4%; fish and seafood, which increased to 3.4% from 1.6%; cooked food prices rose to 4.2% from 3.4%; and dining out costs edged up to 3.2% from 3.1%. Additionally, prices for dairy products and eggs saw a turnaround, increasing by 0.4%, following a reduction of 1.0% in January.
