In June, the consumer price index, excluding fresh food, which fluctuates greatly due to the weather, rose 2.2% over the same month last year for the 10th consecutive month.



The main factor is soaring energy prices.

"Energy" as a whole increased significantly by 16.5% compared to the same month last year.

“Food excluding fresh food” increased by 3.2%.



As companies move to pass on the rise in raw material prices to commodity prices, it is expected that prices will continue to rise for some time, especially in food and daily necessities.



In addition, wage growth has not kept pace with rising prices.

Such a situation may lead to a cooling of personal consumption, and experts have pointed out that there is concern about the negative impact on the economy.

“Price increase movement will continue in the future”

Saisuke Sakai, chief economist of Mizuho Research & Research Institute, said, "In addition to soaring global resource prices due to Russia's military invasion of Ukraine, the depreciation of the yen has led to food, gasoline and electricity costs. Prices are rising for a wide range of items, especially low-income households, because the ratio of daily necessities to income is high, so the impact of the price increase is large, and our estimation is equivalent to raising the consumption tax rate by 3%. We see an increase in the burden of doing so, and we are in a very difficult situation. "



On top of that, "It is expected that resource prices will remain high and the yen will continue to depreciate for the time being. In the future, we expect that price increases will continue, especially in food products. "



Sakai said, "Currently, in households, the rise in prices outweighs the growth in wages, and the actual wages are declining. Therefore, in households where savings are not sufficiently accumulated, children Education costs are also inevitably reduced. The government is expected to focus on short-term policies such as curbing retail prices of gasoline and wheat by providing subsidies. What is important as a countermeasure is to raise wages by supporting efforts to improve skills such as recurrent education for those who work in non-regular employment. "

Passing on to the selling price at supermarkets in Tokyo

As the movement to raise food prices spreads among manufacturers, supermarkets in Tokyo are forced to pass on the selling price, and it is difficult to find out how to retain customers.



At supermarkets in Adachi-ku, Tokyo, most of the processed foods we handle are subject to price increases.



Cooking oil and wheat flour are particularly fast-paced.


Every one or two months for cooking oil and every three or four months for wheat flour, the supplier requests a price increase, so the store is forced to raise the selling price by several yen each time. I am.



In addition, the purchase price of bread has also risen due to the rise in the price of wheat flour, so from 19th this month, the price of bread, which was 99 yen excluding tax and 100 yen or less, will have to be sold for 118 yen excluding tax. It means that it is gone.



On the other hand, in order to ease the burden on customers as much as possible, we are increasing the lineup of products with low selling prices, such as newly handling cheap private brand wheat flour.



A female customer in her 70s said, "I choose and buy cheap ones, but I feel that the prices of all things are rising."



Yoshikuni Abe, director of "Sanyo," said, "Consumers are very sensitive, and if you raise even 10 yen, it will have a considerable impact on sales. I heard that the purchase price of bread will rise again, but the future sales price will be I want to make a decision after packing it to the last minute. "

From families with children ...

As prices continue to rise, families with children say that if prices continue to rise, their lives will be difficult.



Sakura Masuda (32), who lives in Nanae-cho, Hokkaido, lives with her husband, a civil servant, and her two-year-old eldest son.

She says that her usual shopping and cooking is done by Mr. Masuda, and that rising prices for gasoline and vegetables are affecting her life.

I have two cars and pay by credit card when refueling, but comparing the details, the gasoline cost in June is about 20,000 yen, which is about 5,000 yen compared to the same month last year. It means that it has increased by 25%.



According to the Hakodate City Fruit and Vegetables Regional Wholesale Market, the average price per kilogram from April to June is 298 yen, which is almost three times higher than the same period last year.



For this reason, cheap bean sprouts are often used instead of onions, and the price of bread, which the eldest son likes, has risen due to the import price of wheat, increasing the chances of eating rice.



In order to save even a little living expenses, Mr. Masuda has come to use the direct sales office where he can buy vegetables at a relatively low price instead of the supermarket he used to go to.



Mr. Masuda said, "If prices continue to rise, life will be difficult. As prices rise, the number of times we go out will decrease," he said.

There is also a movement to support delivering food to homes

Many schools have entered summer vacation as prices continue to rise in addition to the spread of the new corona infection.

There is also a movement to support the delivery of food to families with anxiety.



Of these, the international NGO "Save the Children Japan" is engaged in activities to deliver food products to households that are economically difficult due to the effects of the new coronavirus.



The target has gradually expanded, and this time, in light of rising prices, we called on the whole country to receive applications from 5644 households, which far exceeds the planned 3200 households.



For this reason, the shipping address is decided by lottery, and shipping is proceeding in sequence so that it arrives during the summer vacation.

In addition to groceries such as rice, noodles, and retort pouch foods, the box also includes stationery and information on public support based on requests from people who have received support so far.

Sonoko Kawakami, general manager of the domestic division of "Save the Children Japan", said, "People who applied for it said,'The prices of daily necessities are rising steadily, making life difficult every day, and I can't see the future.'" Many people don't ask for help, so I want them to take the message that they can rely on someone, whether it's a private or public institution. "

University of student support

As prices continue to rise, some universities are trying to help students.



At Komazawa University in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, free groceries were distributed to students for three days until the 22nd, before the summer vacation.

90,000 meals were prepared, mainly for long-lasting food, in order to support students who could not enter the shift of part-time jobs due to the spread of the new corona infection and the burden of food expenses is increasing due to rising prices. ..



Food items such as packed rice, retort pouch foods, and pasta provided by manufacturers were lined up, and students who visited between classes lined up for an hour and received food items one after another. ..



About 3,000 students visited the grocery distribution in three days.



Ken Matsuda, director of the Student Support Center at Komazawa University, said, "I thought I had to deal with rising prices, so I held the event. I want you to survive the summer vacation because I have made as many things as possible to preserve."



Students who received food distribution said that rising prices have increased the burden of food expenses and other costs, which has a greater impact on their lives.



A female student in the third year of college works part-time at a supermarket while living in college and lives alone in Tokyo.

In order to save on living expenses, I do not use the cafeteria on campus even on days when I have classes, and I cook my own meals and bring my own lunch.



The lunch I ate with her friend on this day was one rice ball that I grabbed myself, and recently it is becoming more common to eat two meals a day.

For this reason, we are taking measures to reduce living expenses by reducing the chances of eating out and choosing cheap ingredients as much as possible.



A female student said, "I feel that the burden of food expenses is particularly heavy when living alone. I have no choice but to continue doing what I can to save my living expenses."



In addition, a second-year college male student who received the groceries said, "I was worried about the money because the shift of part-time jobs was reduced due to the Korona-ka, so I would appreciate it if you could provide me a lot."

Support measures even in local governments

Local governments are also implementing support measures against soaring prices of prices and crude oil.



As of the end of June, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has compiled support measures for rising prices and crude oil prices announced by prefectures and ordinance-designated cities.



Of these, many local governments provide cash and other benefits. Iwate Prefecture provides 15,000 yen per child to approximately 140,000 children in households receiving child allowances, and Osaka Prefecture provides 18 A prepaid card of 10,000 yen per person will be distributed to those under the age of.



In addition, there are local governments that support school lunch costs, and Nagoya City will support the increase in food costs that have increased so as not to increase the burden on parents, and Sakai City will provide special support with municipal elementary schools for the second semester of this year. School meals will be free of charge.



In addition, Hyogo Prefecture provides support for delivering meals to children "Young Carers" who are caring for their families and their families once a week for about three months. In Yamagata Prefecture, Utilizing special rice, we will provide 10 kg for university students and vocational school students in the prefecture, and 20 kg for low-income single-parent households.