Singaporean media Lianhe Zaobao reported on August 31st that Japan will face a rush of price hikes for nearly 5,000 items in September, the largest scale this year.

The article, citing data from Teikoku Databank, explained that a survey conducted targeting 195 major food manufacturers in Japan revealed that the number of food items scheduled for price increases in September reached 4,923, which is approximately three times that of the same month last year. It also reported that this is the first time since April 2025 that the number of price-hike items per month has exceeded 4,000.

Furthermore, it stated that "due to the rise in crude oil prices caused by the worsening situation in the Middle East, the price of packaging materials is increasing, and companies are successively passing on these costs to product prices." It also reported that "import costs continue to rise due to the impact of the record-breaking weak yen, and over 3,000 food items are scheduled for price increases in October.

In addition, it conveyed that Teikoku Databank predicts the total number of food items to be raised in price in 2026 will exceed that of 2025.