Portion sizes shrink in aging Japan as 'real' food prices rise

Consumers pay 11% more by weight for ingredients as household members decline

20201107 Chart

The weight of food products in Japan is shrinking while their prices go up. (Source photo by Reuters)

KYO KITAZUME, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Food prices in Japan are increasing more than consumers realize.

The retail price of food products increased 4% over the past eight years but when the net weight is taken into account, the change is actually as high as 11%. This is because as the number of people in households decrease, consumer demand for products in smaller amounts has increased.

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