Tokyo DispatchJapan, in EnglishA rice surplus has flipped prices in Aichi, where one shop is selling last year's stock at a loss, and growers in Toyota say they cannot keep going at these rates.
Existing-store traffic at the curry chain dropped 7.0% year on year in September, the month it began charging extra from 10pm to 5am. Average spend rose 6.1%, but sales still fell.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi says the cut in the food consumption tax will show up in prices. Supermarket and convenience store bosses say rising costs may leave them no room to pass it on.
Heating fuel is up ¥35 a liter from last winter, and some households are choosing between warmth and food.
