Price Increases

39 comments

1. I stopped going to a curry restaurant near my office when they suddenly increased already borderline high prices (1,100 yen for a weekday lunch set) a further 20%.
   Luckily haven’t experienced this too much, but I would also stop going to these places

2. The tradeoff between getting a partial meal vs. appearance of being overpriced is infuriating. And then the other day I opted for a large burrito at a restaurant and it ended up being the equivalent of 5 bites. 1300JPY.

3. Once I saw the price of alcohol going up, I knew we were fucked.

4. It’s a global problem.

5. Yup. Over the last two years of really minimal pay rises due to covid coupled with the mad price rises in COL I’ve gone from buying stuff I like and having some cash left over at the end of the month to just making it through. And I have what I consider an okay salary, but I feel like I’ve gone back 20 years to entry level. People who are actually on entry level? It must be impossible

6. It is how it is, unfortunately. Like you, I’ve been monitoring the prices of many essential things I buy.

   Either price goes up, or they remove a few pieces from the package to stay with the same price. Or worse, price goes up and package gets smaller.

7. I can’t justify spending 1,700¥ on a single burger at some of the fast food places.

8. I stopped going to Yoshiwara since the increase in foreign demand and foreigner problems increased prices

9. I can only afford discounted supermarket’s ready to eat food nowadays.

10. Yeah it sucks. Praise goes to My Basket though, whose ready-made bentos are still at rock bottom prices.

11. Wait, stop – herbed chicken udon. Tell me more!!

12. I’m seeing US expats starting to complain about the price increases but boy will they be in for a rude shock if they return to the US to $2.50 coke bottles and $5 milk

13. Amazing sandwich place near me. 1200 for a meatloaf sando this time last year that I would always get. At some point earlier in the year it went to 1300 which I could still justify buying as it is supporting a local business. Went there last week and the same sando now is 1900….thats half of a weekly grocery shopping for me. I simply can’t afford that for a sandwich….. Said sorry it is too expensive and left. Don’t think I will ever return.

14. Meanwhile I’m sitting in California, where a bowl of ramen averages $20…

15. I knew this is going to be so fucked up when saizerya makes you pay for the parmesan cheese topping that used to be free… What are gonna change now? Pay for olive oil too? It’s saizerya!!!

16. Are we doing this thread daily?

    https://www.reddit.com/r/Tokyo/comments/155imh9/shrinkflation/

17. I’ve noticed in the place where I work the vegetables are not as high quality as they were before. I’m guessing the suffering economy and weak yen is a big factor in this

18. You are not alone when you say you will stop buying many of the things you used to buy.

    A widespread drop in spending indicates we are going into a recession. It sucks.

    It also sucks for shop owners who are basically forced to raise their prices, knowing they will lose a large chunk of their regular customers who will seek cheaper alternatives.

19. I buy lunch boxes at 50% discount the night before and it cost only 150-200yen where I live. I live in the borders of tokyo and chiba btw.

20. Going to tokyo in 3 weeks, with my partner we are completely brainmelted from the fact that everything is so fricking cheap there. From
    Food to electronics.
    So its really up to what you comparing it to.
    (Middle europe) ramen here 18€, burger 20€, normal menu you cant get under 12€.

21. holy shit lol 70%

22. It’s only going to get worse in the short to medium term. You might as well get used to it. I now do most of my food shopping at discount supermarkets and go to the combini as little as possible. I’m not entirely sure but I think I’m doing alright, and probably spending less now than before the inflation started.

23. OP just wanna say I hear you and can confirm your observations.

24. I’ve had this issue with coffee and some onigiri

    Just charge me more instead of watering it down, reducing size AND increasing price

25. Compared to overseas, Japan restaurant prices are ridiculously low even more so without tipping.

26. I didn’t eat out before and will continue that strategy.

    The price increases haven’t hit me as hard since I cook every day, am mostly vegetarian, and buy from wholesale stores.

27. It’s everywhere lol

28. bruf there’s a major ground war going in Europe

29. Used to get 50% on L size pizza on their coupon lottery almost every time but now I keep getting 3-5% off coupons which is almost nothing. Haven’t ordered in months.
    I wonder if it’s the same for Dominos. Before I moved to a place where there is no Dominos I used to be such a food pig and ordered a 50% off L pizza almost every weekend. I never paid for a full prize pizza ever.

30. Bitcoin solves this. It’s a hedge against inflation.

31. The restaurant prices have been too low so far. Often cheaper than I could buy the ingredients to make them myself. They pay too little and are always short-staffed. They need to raise their prices.

32. I noticed about the rewards and no longer order from pizza hut.

    It’s sad, I used to order from them a lot.

33. I mean, it doesn’t help that the yen is way down. When I went in January most places were still charging the same prices as they were precovid for goods, so maybe it’s finally forced them to start raising prices?

34. I’m in Belgium and a medium pepperoni 🍕 with a drink is about 17€ (2680¥).
    (Not sure how relevant my comment is but maybe you wanted a comparison.

    For instance I remember when I was a student we would have all you can eat and unlimited drinks for 12€ at Pizza Hut (not so long before Covid)

35. Pizza Hut is for fatties anyway so who cares about a price increase.

36. yeah, i’m starting to wonder what options i have besides starving, because i lived on the cheap way before inflation or covid. i cook at home a lot to save money, and opted for generic as well as anything on sale. the number of items i used to get for ¥100 or less are almost gone, so now i buy less of it or not at all. bulk is only good for non-perishables since i’m single. i guess pretty soon i’ll just eat instant ramen exclusively?

37. Price hikes are much worse everywhere else in the world. Japan is just getting started

38. Same. Lindt Milk chocolate has gone from about 350 yen to 500 yen. Ritter Sport mixed bag, 500 yen to 800 yen. Cheese is the same price but half the size. Werther’s Original caramels, 400ish to 600ish yen. Butter up 100 yen.

39. Not really a “new” problem. But kudos for keeping track of all that.