Japan's parents feeling the pinch at the supermarket and beyond

Have you noticed your favorite snacks getting more expensive? Or opened a bag of potato chips and wondered where the rest of them went? You're not imagining things!

A new survey of 556 parents with young children by family outing website Ikoyo found that 97% had noticed food prices rising in recent months. Even more interestingly, 66% said they'd become so accustomed to higher prices that they sometimes buy things they would previously have considered too expensive.

Chocolate bars were the biggest culprit, with 75% of respondents noticing price increases compared with two to three years ago. Eating out at family restaurants came next at 68%, followed by bakery bread at 67%. Even conveyor-belt sushi, a family fave for an affordable meal out, wasn't spared, with 65% noticing higher prices.

Interestingly, branded ice creams such as Haagen-Dazs were less likely to register as having become more expensive, perhaps because it's already considered a treat.

Shrinkflation is frustrating families, too. Among respondents who had noticed products shrinking in size, potato chips were a common example. It's hard not to notice when the bag looks much the same but disappears even faster!