Japan’s food prices rose 3.1% year-on-year in August 2026, easing from a 3.5% increase in July and marking the slowest pace of growth since July 2024. Price pressures softened across several categories, including fresh vegetables (5.5% vs 6.5% in July), fresh fruit (0.1% vs 2.4%), dairy products and eggs (1.3% vs 3.5%), cakes and candies (5.0% vs 6.1%), meats (3.3% vs 3.9%), alcoholic beverages (0.4% vs 0.6%), and prepared foods (3.3% vs 3.5%).
Meanwhile, cereal prices declined for the fourth consecutive month (-3.4% vs -2.2%), and rice prices fell 15.7% year-on-year, extending their slide for a fourth month in a row and registering the steepest drop since April 2005.
By contrast, price growth accelerated in several categories, including fish and seafood (9.9% vs 9.0%), oils, fats and seasonings (4.0% vs 3.4%), beverages (6.0% vs 5.5%), and meals eaten out (2.1% vs 1.7%).
