Inflation casts shadow over Japan’s cherry blossom season
The country’s inflation has been running at the fastest rate in the Group of Seven
[TOKYO] Cherry blossoms are in full bloom across Japan, prompting the usual rush of impromptu picnics, but prices are surging for the traditional food items often enjoyed while admiring the flowers.
A report from Dai-ichi Life Research Institute shows that the cost of typical food items eaten at the gatherings known as hanami or flower-viewing parties, has risen 21.4 per cent in the past six years.
Hideo Kumano, the institute’s chief economist, developed what he calls a “hanami cost index” by tracking 14 common items, such as rice balls, bento box lunches, fried chicken and beer. The index has risen twice as fast as general inflation since 2019, he said in the report.
Japan’s inflation has been running at the fastest rate in the Group of Seven, with food prices escalating even more rapidly than other items and wage hikes failing to keep pace. Anger over the cost of living was a factor behind the long-ruling coalition’s loss of its majority in last October’s election.
Some of the steepest price hikes for picnics this spring include traditional sweets such as steamed sweet buns and mochi rice cakes, as well as carbonated drinks, which are up more than 40 per cent compared to 2019. Rice balls have also jumped by 32 per cent due to rising rice prices. On the other hand, beer has become slightly less expensive, following a 2023 revision to Japan’s liquor tax law.
The average budget per person for hanami gatherings in 2025 is around 2,997 yen (S$27), according to weathernews.
Despite rising prices and recent wet weather in Tokyo, cherry blossom viewing remains a major economic event. According to Kansai University emeritus professor Katsuhiro Miyamoto, the total economic impact of hanami season this year could reach approximately 1.39 trillion yen, helped by the boom in tourist arrivals from overseas. BLOOMBERG
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