News Price increases in Japan

[thomas]

It's a good start, but the government could have been smarter by encouraging farmers to grow crops for humans rather than for animals. Part of the cause of the tight food supply is that people are eating too much meat and dairy, which require much greater use of crops than if the crops were directly eaten by humans.

Things are unlikely to change with an agromafia like JA in place and a ruling party staunchly supporting their lobby of farmers and fishers (who generate 0.9% of Japan's GDP). They had decades to adapt to changing dietary habits; meanwhile, food self-sufficiency dropped from 60% in 1960 to currently 37%. They'd rather pay rice farmers not to grow crops than reform Japan's agriculture.

This is an eye-opening read by CIGS (not tobacco-related but the Canon Institute for Global Studies), which looks not only at the current crisis in Ukraine but also at the potential implications of a Taiwan contingency.

Japan’s Agricultural Policy Might Starve the People in Times of Contingency: A Lesson from the Ukraine Crisis

cigs.canon

 

[IronDove]

if i remember right, china and japan aren't good friends and china wants Taiwan anyway. so if (when) china made a move on Taiwan and blocked the strait, was it 1/10th of Japan's population would die of famine? unless they anticipate china's move and start growing sweet potatoes.

don't suppose anyone knows how to cook a sweet potato a thousand ways?

 

[thomas]

Well, here's some good news: not EVERYTHING in Japan is more expensive than abroad.

iPhone fans in Japan don't have to dig as deep into their pockets, with a new survey showing that they sell for about 20 percent cheaper in their country than the rest of the world. The direct price of iPhones in Japan is the lowest in 34 countries and regions worldwide, according to a survey released by the Moving Mobile and Mobility Forward research institute on June 14. "iPhones are high-end if you look at the world, but the sales situation in Japan where they are being sold at such an inexpensive price can be said to be unusual," said Hideaki Yokota, an executive analyst of the Moving Mobile and Mobility Forward research institute. As iPhone prices in Japan have not changed amid the recent rapid depreciation of the yen, they are getting relatively cheaper than other countries.

iPhone prices in Japan found lowest in global survey | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

 

[johnnyG]

I bought gas today, same place as always. It was tagged as 162 on the sign (regular), and it was maybe 158 a month ago. Even from months back, I don't think it has moved much.

Kerosene, on the other hand, which we use for hot water (and thru the winter some of our heating), certainly had some increases.

 

[thomas]

I have to verify with my wife (she maintains the most elaborate Excel-based 家計簿), but I am pretty sure that our electricity and gas bills have increased significantly over the past few months.

 

[Petaris]

Well, here's some good news: not EVERYTHING in Japan is more expensive than abroad.

iPhone prices in Japan found lowest in global survey | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

As it looks like I will be making a trip to Japan I am thinking about trying to snag a new camera lens while there, taking advantage of the low yen compared to the USD.

 

[johnnyG]

As it looks like I will be making a trip to Japan I am thinking about trying to snag a new camera lens while there, taking advantage of the low yen compared to the USD.

Besides the 'kit' one that came with the camera, the other two lenses I have for it I bought used--think 'near mint' condition (still branded same as the body). The grading of used lenses is supposed to be good (strict). They're not all that much cheaper, maybe only 5% or a little more off new for something in the best condition, but sometimes near new can be perfectly good, or for a lesser grading the glass is fine, but there's some kind of handling mark(s) somewhere on the barrel.

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

Price note

野菜の価格推移が一目で分かる！主婦の味方「おねだんノート」

定期的に騒がれる野菜の価格高騰ニュースに「去年もこんなもんじゃなかったっけ？」「時期的なものでしょうがないんじゃないの？」「大げさに騒ぎすぎじゃない？」と思ったことありませんか？「おねだんノート」はそんな疑問から誕生しました。

onedannote.com

It seems that the prices of processed meat foods, which are often imported, are rising.
The prices of vegetables etc. are normal seasonal prices.
The prices of wheat and cooking oil have increased slightly.
The main food, rice, is as usual.

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

There are regional differences in gasoline prices.
Regular gasoline
The lowest price is 152 yen.
The highest price is 209 yen.
Gas stations by the sea seem to be relatively cheap.

ガソリンスタンド 地図検索

地図上でガソリンスタンドやガソリン価格を確認することができます。

gogo.gs

 

[johnnyG]

...

ガソリンスタンド 地図検索

地図上でガソリンスタンドやガソリン価格を確認することができます。

gogo.gs

That's listing the station I use at ¥165. With a fill, you get a receipt with a QR code that's good for ¥3 discount the next purchase. I'll guess that 165 is the pre-discount price.

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

That's listing the station I use at ¥165. With a fill, you get a receipt with a QR code that's good for ¥3 discount the next purchase. I'll guess that 165 is the pre-discount price.

The gas station in my neighborhood is expensive at 172 yen.
I get a small discount when I use the QR code of the app.
Cars are refueled once every three months, so I'm worried about the price of gasoline around August.

 

[mdchachi]

The gas station in my neighborhood is expensive at 172 yen.
I get a small discount when I use the QR code of the app.
Cars are refueled once every three months, so I'm worried about the price of gasoline around August.

If you only refuel your tank once every three months, the price of gasoline won't affect you much at all.

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

As the Nissan "notebook" which I bought last year is an electric car with gasoline generator, it runs 700km or more by one refueling.
As the recent car is hybrid, the rise in price of crude oil does not seem to have influence.
As the hot water supply system is EcoCute in my home, and the kitchen is an IH system again, it is thiol electrification.
I buy two pieces of Solar panels of 175w for a telework and charge a large-capacity battery charger (for the camping) and use the electricity for a PC.
I build more Solar panels for an air conditioner in summer and am considering whether you add battery.

Of Fukuoka life is more comfortable than Tokyo the country.

 

[musicisgood]

Make that wheat, not gohan. (I'm glad sake rice is not affected).

High grain prices prompt Japanese farmers to grow wheat rather than rice

More Japanese farmers are planning to lower their rice production and switch to wheat and soybean this year amid rising grain prices caused by Russia's war in Ukraine, according to a government survey. Among Japan's 47 prefectures, 37 said as of the end of April that they will reduce cooking…

japantoday.com

Definitely the right step toward food self-reliance.

Where I live the farmers change from rice to wheat every other year. Not all farmers do it though, but in the harvest of rice, I'll see if the planting of wheat will increase.
So far the two main types of flour (Japanese ) the prices seems to be stable. Cosmos prices are reasonable .

 

[thomas]

That's the kind of daily alarmist news in a country not used to inflation (with many products that see price increases reported on morning TV).


Schools switching from fresh fruit to jelly:

Tokyo school swaps fresh fruit for jelly as food prices soar

For months, Kazumi Sato, a nutritionist at a middle school in eastern Tokyo, has received notices about hikes in ingredient prices.

www.reuters.com

Inflation even impacts the PM's approval rating (but no worries, the 'ruling camp' will still be winning comfortably in Sunday's general election).

Inflation, not deflation, is now Japan's political hot potato as election looms

The rising cost of living is turning into a thorny political issue ahead of Japan's upper house election this weekend, as opposition parties peg blame for recent price hikes on Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's policies.

www.reuters.com

According to Mizuho, Japanese households should expect an additional 50,000 JPY in annual spending over the 2022 calendar year.

Inflation: Hip-pocket pain hits Japan | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News

Soaring prices for consumer goods are hurting households around the globe, including in Japan. Items such as bread, corn, oil, gas, and noodles are costing more. People are worried that it's an ongoing trend -- and central banks are considering fiscal policy changes to address the hardship.

www3.nhk.or.jp

 

[mdchachi]

I bought some more yen (as a USD investment) yesterday. I hope the bottom has been reached.

 

[musicisgood]

I bought some more yen (as a USD investment) yesterday. I hope the bottom has been reached.

I wish I had more dollars here. At 131 Yen that is good for us in Japan.