Food prices in Japan increased by 6.7% year-on-year in September 2025, slowing from a 7.2% gain in the previous month and marking the mildest rise since May. Costs moderated for cereals (18.0% vs 22.7% in August), fresh fruits (2.0% vs 5.7%), prepared foods (6.1% vs 6.8%), and meals eaten out (4.1% vs 4.4%). At the same time, inflation held steady for meats (at 4.8%) and alcoholic drinks (at 4.1%) while accelerating for fresh vegetables (2.4% vs 2.1%), fish and seafood (2.9% vs 2.7%), oils, fats, and seasonings (2.8% vs 2.5%), dairy products and eggs (8.5% vs 7.9%), beverages (10.1% vs 9.0%), and cakes and candies (12.2% vs 11.5%). Among staples, rice prices increased 49.2% year-on-year, notably slowing from a 69.7% rise in August and registering the slowest rise in a year amid Tokyo’s continued efforts to mitigate persistent upward pressure on staple food costs.