Cost of cooking Japanese curry rice at record high in Japan due to weak yen, rice shortage: Study

The cost of making Japanese curry rice in Japan has risen to a record 10-year high due to a weak yen and shortage of rice caused by a heatwave, according to a study.

It cost 329 yen (S$3) to cook a serving of Japanese curry rice in June, said the study released by financial research and support services company Teikoku Databank on Aug 13.

This figure, which accounts for ingredient and utility costs, represents a 30-yen increase from June 2023 and is the highest recorded since 2015, reported national daily The Mainichi.

While the figure for July has not been announced, Teikoku predicted that the cost of cooking the staple comfort food will peak.

It is expected to rise to 340 yen per serving based on price trends in Tokyo’s 23 wards, said The Mainichi, citing Teikoku’s study.

The main factors driving the increase are the high prices of vegetables and imported beef due to “effects of the weak yen”, said the report. “Rice prices have also spiked due to a supply shortage triggered by last summer’s extreme heat.”

A heatwave in 2023 caused rice quality to deteriorate, resulting in “cloudy” rice and cracked grains, which contributed to a supply shortfall, news agency Jiji Press reported.

Meanwhile, Japan’s economy has stuttered over the past year as households struggle with rising living costs, blamed in part on higher import prices due to the weak yen.

Excessive heat can also strain household finances as people crank up the use of air-conditioners to combat the weather.

Public discontent over rising living costs is one of the factors that prompted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to announce that he will step down in September.