Curry rice becoming an inflation indicator in Japan

If you've been living in Japan for a while, you've probably noticed that even the most reliable "cheap and cheerful" meals aren't quite as cheap as they used to be. Curry rice is a perfect example, and there's now a number to back up that feeling.

According to Teikoku Databank's Curry Rice Price Index, the average cost of making a single serving of curry rice at home reached 365 yen in late 2025. That's up from 320 yen the year before, and marks more than four years of continuous year-on-year increases. 

Curry rice is tracked because it is one of the most common home-cooked meals in Japan, and the index factors in the cost of rice, vegetables, meat, curry roux, and utilities, making it a surprisingly good snapshot of food inflation. Rice alone accounts for around 40% of the cost, and with branded rice now topping 5,000 yen for five kilos, prices are under steady pressure.

Other things like weather-related veggie shortages, rising imported meat costs, and the weak yen are also pushing totals higher.

Have you noticed the cost of curry rice creeping up?