News On Japan

Japan Faces 200 Yen Vending Machine Drinks

NAGOYA, Oct 01 (News On Japan) - The wave of price increases continued into October, with more than 3,000 items, including beverages and food, set to rise in price, leaving supermarkets and retailers grappling with how to respond.

According to Teikoku Databank, food manufacturers reported 3,024 items subject to price hikes in October, surpassing 3,000 for the first time since April. In Nagoya, the Wodai Plus supermarket noted that about 300 products, including beverages and packaged rice, would be affected, though the store has been delaying price adjustments by stockpiling goods. Floor manager Manabu Makino explained that the store has been holding extra inventory and relying on wholesalers to maintain lower prices for as long as possible, with the aim of keeping pre-hike prices for at least another month.

Customers, however, are increasingly feeling the pinch. An 80-year-old shopper said, "It’s really difficult. Food is something we need every day, and we can’t just give it up." A woman in her 30s added, "The coffee price increase hurts. I drink it every morning."

Alcohol and beverages account for more than 70 percent of the October hikes. Coca-Cola’s 500-milliliter bottle, for example, is rising from 180 yen to 200 yen before tax.

The impact extends beyond supermarkets to vending machines. Sun Company, based in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, which operates machines mainly in the Higashi-Mikawa region, says it is struggling to keep up. President Tatsuya Nagata noted, "Prices are rising so sharply that we can hardly keep pace. Some drinks are approaching 200 yen." The company has responded by removing products that would exceed 200 yen and replacing them with lower-priced alternatives, but Nagata warned that if trends continue, 20 to 30 percent of roadside vending machines across Japan could disappear as they lose competitiveness against supermarkets and drugstores.

From October, Sun Company’s machines will gradually increase prices on products such as Wilkinson soda water and Welch’s grape juice by 10 yen. Nagata cautioned that the viability of vending machines as a sales channel is now in question: "Raw material costs and exchange rates may be unavoidable, but if this continues, vending machines may not survive."

Households are also searching for ways to cope. Home economics advisor Kikuno Yano outlined three strategies to protect family budgets. First, avoid buying items simply because they appear cheap, as unused food often ends up wasted. Second, even at convenience stores, choose private-brand products, which are increasingly available at competitive prices. Finally, maximize savings through layered loyalty programs. At stores like Matsumoto Kiyoshi, shoppers can simultaneously earn points across multiple systems, from store-specific rewards to credit card miles, effectively quadrupling benefits.

As prices climb, both retailers and consumers are being forced to adapt, while the era of 200 yen vending machine drinks is quickly becoming a reality.

Source: Nagoya TV News

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Osaka City decided on September 30th to suspend new applications for so-called special zone minpaku, a category of private lodging that has seen a sharp rise in disputes with local residents.

North Safari Sapporo, a private zoo in the southern district of Sapporo, closed its doors on September 30th after 20 years of operation, leaving around 300 animals including lions and wolves without a confirmed relocation plan.

Tokyo is expected to record a high of 22°C on October 1st, marking the first time in 112 days since June 11th that the temperature has fallen below 25°C, with rainfall cooling the air and bringing an end to the long stretch of summer-like days.

Photos of cult founder Shoko Asahara, whose real name was Chizuo Matsumoto and who was executed for his role in the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack, are being displayed alongside childhood pictures of his son in facilities linked to Aleph, the successor group to Aum Shinrikyo, according to findings by the Public Security Intelligence Agency (PSIA).

In a September opinion poll conducted by TV Tokyo and the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, former Minister of State for Economic Security Takaichi was the frontrunner with 34% when respondents were asked who they believed should be the next Liberal Democratic Party president.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Business NEWS

The wave of price increases continued into October, with more than 3,000 items, including beverages and food, set to rise in price, leaving supermarkets and retailers grappling with how to respond.

From October, Japan’s minimum wage will rise across the country to exceed 1,000 yen for the first time, a development welcomed by workers but one that is expected to squeeze retailers such as discount supermarkets where higher personnel costs could lead to losses.

NTT, which had previously announced plans to gradually phase out fixed-line metal cables over the next decade, said at a briefing on September 30th that it will raise basic charges from next fiscal year to temporarily maintain the service.

Office rents in Osaka are rising at the fastest pace in the world, driven by a wave of new developments in Umeda such as the recently opened Grand Green Osaka, which has brought fresh momentum to the city’s commercial real estate market.

Asahi Group Holdings said on September 29th that a cyberattack had caused a major system failure which has yet to be restored and shows no signs of resolution, with the impact now spreading across its operations even as the company stressed that no leaks of personal information or customer data have been confirmed.

FamilyMart has put Shohei Ohtani at the center of its latest push, casting the global baseball star in a nationwide TV campaign tied to a revamped onigiri line. During a two-hour shoot in Los Angeles in December, Ohtani—whom President Kensuke Hosomi describes as soft-spoken and “sun-bright”—sampled 19 rice balls and even asked to take the leftovers home.

A toy trade fair was held in Osaka ahead of the year-end shopping season, bringing together 84 manufacturers from Japan and abroad who showcased products ranging from educational toys to collectibles.

A 24-year-old entrepreneur is drawing attention with a new business model that relies on goats to provide weed control, a service that could also help sustain life in depopulated communities.