How much does bonito flakes cost in Japan?

¥1,846 per 100 g, as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities in the government's retail price survey.

Which Japanese city has the cheapest bonito flakes?

Among the surveyed cities in September 2026, Kashiwa was cheapest at ¥1,125 and Hiroshima the most expensive at ¥3,125.

How much have bonito flakes prices changed in Japan over the past year?

As of September 2026, +8.7% year on year, measured by Japan's official consumer price index (2020 = 100).

How much have bonito flakes prices changed in Japan over the past five years?

+54.9% compared with the same month five years earlier. The index now reads 155.5.

When were bonito flakes prices in Japan at their highest?

Right now. The latest month, September 2026, is the highest reading in the series at 155.5 — a record high since the series began.

What is the difference between the index and the yen price?

This page carries two kinds of number. The index (2020 = 100) measures percentage change over time and is not a yen amount; the yen figure is an actual average retail price from the government's retail price survey. Source: 総務省統計局消費者物価指数 (e-Stat table 0003427113, nationwide, monthly).

Food · code 1161

Bonito flakes price in Japan

かつお節

Average retail price

¥1,846per 100 g+9.3% year on year

2026-09 · unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities

Surveyed specification: かつおかれぶし削りぶし，パック入り（２．０ｇ×８～１２袋入り），普通品

Cheapest surveyed city: ¥1,125 Kashiwa
Priciest surveyed city: ¥3,125 Hiroshima

Price in your city:

¥1,909per 100 g+3.4% vs national average#30 cheapest of 52 cities

See all 52 cities, cheapest first

#	City	Price (JPY) · per 100 g
1	Sapporo	¥1,235
2	Matsuyama	¥1,285
3	Niigata	¥1,331
4	Fukushima	¥1,338
5	Saitama	¥1,369
6	Saga	¥1,395
7	Yokohama	¥1,404
8	Okayama	¥1,423
9	Akita	¥1,453
10	Fukui	¥1,533
11	Nagasaki	¥1,533
12	Fukuoka	¥1,565
13	Maebashi	¥1,575
14	Tsu	¥1,642
15	Sagamihara	¥1,676
16	Utsunomiya	¥1,691
17	Kumamoto	¥1,692
18	Aomori	¥1,714
19	Kawasaki	¥1,728
20	Morioka	¥1,738
21	Kitakyushu	¥1,747
22	Yamagata	¥1,753
23	Shizuoka	¥1,756
24	Miyazaki	¥1,769
25	Nagano	¥1,778
26	Mito	¥1,838
27	Kanazawa	¥1,847
28	Oita	¥1,878
29	Tokushima	¥1,905
30	Tokyo (23 wards)	¥1,909
31	Naha	¥1,930
32	Sendai	¥1,944
33	Gifu	¥1,946
34	Nara	¥1,950
35	Wakayama	¥2,013
36	Kagoshima	¥2,034
37	Otsu	¥2,038
38	Toyama	¥2,081
39	Nagoya	¥2,081
40	Osaka	¥2,095
41	Kobe	¥2,095
42	Chiba	¥2,147
43	Kyoto	¥2,188
44	Kofu	¥2,225
45	Tottori	¥2,281
46	Matsue	¥2,281
47	Hamamatsu	¥2,281
48	Sakai	¥2,296
49	Yamaguchi	¥2,418
50	Takamatsu	¥2,580
51	Kochi	¥3,120
52	Hiroshima	¥3,125

Retail price survey conducted by the Statistics Bureau of Japan. This is a survey average, not a shop price — actual prices vary by store. 総務省統計局小売物価統計調査 · Surveyed items and specifications

Key facts

Bonito flakes costs ¥1,846 per 100 g in Japan as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities, up 9.3% from a year earlier. Measured as an index, the official CPI for bonito flakes reads 155.5 (2020 = 100) in September 2026, up 8.7% year on year and up 54.9% over five years.

Bonito flakes sits in the food group of Japan's CPI basket, with 681 monthly observations from January 1970 to September 2026. The series peaked at 155.5 in September 2026 and bottomed at 27.8 in January 1970; the latest reading is at its highest recorded level. Against ten years ago it is +66.5%.

Latest CPI

155.5

2026-09 (2020=100)

YoY %

+8.7%

5y change %

+54.9%

Change since 1970-01

+459.4%

Annual average index by year

Annual average consumer price index for Bonito flakes in Japan (2020 = 100)
Year	Index	YoY %	Months
2015	94.2	+1.0%	12
2016	93.1	-1.2%	12
2017	95.1	+2.1%	12
2018	99.8	+4.9%	12
2019	100.1	+0.3%	12
2020	100.0	-0.1%	12
2021	100.0	0.0%	12
2022	99.6	-0.4%	12
2023	113.5	+14.0%	12
2024	139.3	+22.7%	12
2025	144.5	+3.7%	12
2026	145.3	+0.6%	9

Average of the monthly index values in each year (2020 = 100). Blank months are excluded.

Average retail price by month

2026-09	¥1,846
2026-08	¥1,681
2026-07	¥1,699
2026-06	¥1,716
2026-05	¥1,726
2026-04	¥1,696
2026-03	¥1,696
2026-02	¥1,691
2026-01	¥1,668
2025-12	¥1,698
2025-11	¥1,676
2025-10	¥1,701
2025-09	¥1,690

Frequently asked questions

How much does bonito flakes cost in Japan?: ¥1,846 per 100 g, as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities in the government's retail price survey.
Which Japanese city has the cheapest bonito flakes?: Among the surveyed cities in September 2026, Kashiwa was cheapest at ¥1,125 and Hiroshima the most expensive at ¥3,125.
How much have bonito flakes prices changed in Japan over the past year?: As of September 2026, +8.7% year on year, measured by Japan's official consumer price index (2020 = 100).
How much have bonito flakes prices changed in Japan over the past five years?: +54.9% compared with the same month five years earlier. The index now reads 155.5.
When were bonito flakes prices in Japan at their highest?: Right now. The latest month, September 2026, is the highest reading in the series at 155.5 — a record high since the series began.
What is the difference between the index and the yen price?: This page carries two kinds of number. The index (2020 = 100) measures percentage change over time and is not a yen amount; the yen figure is an actual average retail price from the government's retail price survey. Source: 総務省統計局消費者物価指数 (e-Stat table 0003427113, nationwide, monthly).