TOKYO - The average weekday lunch spending in Japan rose for the third straight year to a record 485 yen in 2024 -- a 7.3% increase from the previous year -- highlighting how inflation is reshaping workers' midday habits.
While eating out and delivery services have become more expensive—with average prices reaching 1,250 yen and 1,418 yen respectively—many are turning to more economical options. Over half of the respondents now bring home-cooked or handmade lunches, with these meals costing an average of 432 yen, making them the most affordable choice amid soaring food prices, according to a recent report by Recruit.
In Tokyo’s Marunouchi business district, workers shared their own lunch stories. A man in his twenties said he usually relies on his wife’s homemade bentos because he doesn’t have much money, but on that day she had been too tired to prepare one. In contrast, a pair of workers in their fifties indulged in a Chinese meal costing around 2,500 yen, though they usually eat leftovers from home. These voices reflected both the pressures and occasional indulgences in a landscape shaped by economic restraint.
Elsewhere in the city, budget-friendly options continue to attract customers. At a bento shop in Shin-Okubo, ginger pork lunches are available for 420 yen, while hamburger and seaweed bentos cost just 320 yen. Customers praised the low prices and high value, especially when daily expenses like electricity bills are climbing faster than wages. One office worker remarked that if their financial situation were better, they might spend more on lunch, but for now, cost efficiency takes priority.
The growing gap between wages and living costs is becoming harder to ignore. On April 22nd, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry added a bold prediction to the conversation: by 2040, the average nominal hourly wage in Japan could reach 5,366 yen—nearly double the current figure. The ministry attributes this optimistic forecast to rising productivity through investments in robotics, automation, and software.
Still, skepticism remains. A childcare worker questioned whether such wage growth could really happen, noting that her current income still lags behind the 2021 average of 2,885 yen. With children to raise and food prices on the rise, she described her family’s situation as increasingly strained. Others echoed her doubt, welcoming the possibility of higher wages but wondering aloud if such projections were truly realistic.
Toshihiro Nagahama, Chief Economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute, acknowledged that the target wage is feasible—but only if Japan can overcome its history of policy failures and stimulate real economic growth. He emphasized that reaching this wage level will depend heavily on how the government guides the country’s future.
Nagahama also cautioned that wage increases alone won't lead to better living standards if inflation continues unchecked. As Japan eyes the future, the question is whether it can build a sustainable cycle where rising incomes are matched by stable prices, allowing households to actually feel the benefits of economic progress.
Source: FNN
