Japan's November food price hikes: 1,477 items, from Kewpie mayo to Ito En barley tea

Food prices in Japan keep going up. A survey by the research firm Teikoku Databank found that 195 major food and beverage makers plan to raise prices on 1,477 products in November. Familiar names are on the list, including Kewpie mayonnaise and Ito En barley tea.

Here is what the survey found, what is behind the increases and what it does and does not tell readers in Canada.

The November numbers

According to a Jiji Press report published by Nippon.com on October 30, the 1,477 items are about 10 times the 150 counted a year earlier. Even so, the monthly figure fell below 2,000 for the first time in five months, the report said.

Seasonings such as sauces and mayonnaise make up the largest category, at 644 items. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are next, at 417 items. Together, those two categories account for more than 70% of November's list.

The German-language Japan news site Sumikai, citing Teikoku Databank, reported that November's increases average 17%, compared with an average of 10% in October. So fewer items are going up, but the average increase is larger.

Brands you may recognize

The reports name a few specific products:

The Japan Times reported the same companies and products. Neither report gives the full list of 195 companies or the new prices for every product.

That is an important point for readers here. None of these reports says anything about prices at Japanese grocery stores in Canada. Prices for imported goods on Canadian shelves depend on importers and retailers, and the sources we checked don't say whether they will change. In our view, it's better to watch your own receipts than to assume that a price change in Japan means the same change here.

A year past 20,000 again

Teikoku Databank counts 20,327 food and beverage items with price increases so far in 2026, the Japan Times reported. That is the second year in a row above 20,000.

At the end of September, a Jiji Press report on Nippon.com put the running total at 20,187 items, with 3,153 items scheduled for October. That report said soaring crude oil and naphtha prices, linked to the war in Iran, together with a weaker yen, had pushed food prices up.

Sumikai gives some longer-term context from Teikoku Databank figures. The firm counted 32,396 price increases in 2023, 12,520 in 2024 and 20,609 in 2025. Sumikai also notes that the count includes repeat increases on the same product, so it measures price revisions, not unique products.

Why prices are rising

According to the figures cited by Sumikai, higher raw material costs were a factor in 91.7% of this year's increases. Energy costs were a factor in 63.9% and labour costs in 51.5%.

The Middle East situation played a role in 27.5% of cases, the same report said. Higher oil and naphtha prices raise the cost of things like food packaging. In September, Teikoku Databank said prices remain sensitive to the Middle East situation and to exchange rates, Nippon.com reported.

Processed foods, including frozen products and packaged rice, have seen the most increases this year, Sumikai reported, with 6,968 so far compared with 4,791 last year.

What comes next

Teikoku Databank expects relatively few further increases in December, according to Sumikai. Looking at 2027, a company official told reporters there is "a possibility that the pace of price increases will slow," the Japan Times reported. The official said companies may pass on costs while watching how consumers react.

Xinhua reported the same outlook. Sumikai noted, however, that increases for bread and other baked goods have already been announced for 2027, partly because imported wheat costs more.

Our view: For anyone planning a trip home or sending care packages to family in Japan, everyday groceries like seasonings and bottled tea are where these increases will show up. Whether the pace really slows next year will likely depend on the energy and currency factors that Teikoku Databank itself highlights.

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