Starting tomorrow, August begins, and with it comes a new round of price hikes in Japan.

Here's a simple summary of what’s happening:

🧊 Heatwave Driving Ice Cream Sales – But Shelves Are Empty

• In Sapporo, ice cream sales have doubled compared to previous years.
• Due to ongoing extreme heat, some products are sold out, and shortages may continue.

🥛 Big Price Increases Coming in August – Especially for Dairy

• Milk will go up 10–20 yen per bottle.
• This is because the raw milk price (乳価) that dairy farmers charge to manufacturers is increasing by 4 yen per kilogram (before tax).
• The raise aims to help dairy farmers deal with labor shortages and lack of successors.

🧃 Products Using Milk Are Also Going Up:

• Yukijirushi Coffee Milk: Up another 10 yen (2nd increase this year).
• Yogurt: Most types will rise by 10–12 yen.
• Fruiche (milk-based dessert): Will rise by around 20 yen.

📈 August Price Hikes Overall:

• According to Teikoku Databank, 1,010 food and drink items will go up in price in August.
• This is fewer than in July, but still a major impact.

🍘 Coming in September: Rice Crackers

• Most brands of senbei (rice crackers) will go up 10–20 yen due to high rice prices.

🍚 Rice Prices to Keep Rising

• The purchase price of this year’s new rice is expected to be 1.5 times higher.
• In Hokkaido, 5 kg of rice may go up 500–600 yen.
• This could raise prices of existing branded rice too.

In short: Expect higher prices for milk, yogurt, desserts, rice, and rice-based snacks in the coming months — and the heat is only making things more unpredictable.