Wakame seaweed
Average retail price
- Cheapest surveyed city
- ¥1,870 Kochi
- Priciest surveyed city
- ¥3,413 Otsu
The surveyed product specification changed in March 2026, so figures before that month are for a different product and are not comparable (¥324 → ¥2,448). Year-on-year change is withheld until 12 months of the new specification are available.
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
Wakame seaweed costs ¥2,430 per 100 g in Japan as of August 2026 — the unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities. Measured as an index, the official CPI for wakame seaweed reads 124.3 (2020 = 100) in August 2026, up 0.8% year on year and up 25.3% over five years.
Wakame seaweed sits in the food group of Japan's CPI basket, with 680 monthly observations from January 1970 to August 2026. The series peaked at 125.3 in December 2025 and bottomed at 15.9 in January 1970; the latest reading is -0.8% against that peak. Against ten years ago it is +39.3%.
Annual average index by year
| Year | Index | YoY % | Months |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 84.4 | +1.9% | 12 |
| 2016 | 87.7 | +3.9% | 12 |
| 2017 | 91.7 | +4.6% | 12 |
| 2018 | 94.4 | +2.9% | 12 |
| 2019 | 96.6 | +2.3% | 12 |
| 2020 | 100.0 | +3.5% | 12 |
| 2021 | 99.2 | -0.8% | 12 |
| 2022 | 101.3 | +2.1% | 12 |
| 2023 | 106.2 | +4.8% | 12 |
| 2024 | 113.1 | +6.5% | 12 |
| 2025 | 121.7 | +7.6% | 12 |
| 2026 | 124.7 | +2.5% | 8 |
Average of the monthly index values in each year (2020 = 100). Blank months are excluded.
Average retail price by month
| 2026-08 | ¥2,430 |
|---|---|
| 2026-07 | ¥2,429 |
| 2026-06 | ¥2,448 |
| 2026-05 | ¥2,460 |
| 2026-04 | ¥2,448 |
| 2026-03 | ¥2,454 |
Frequently asked questions
- How much does wakame seaweed cost in Japan?
- ¥2,430 per 100 g, as of August 2026 — the unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities in the government's retail price survey.
- Which Japanese city has the cheapest wakame seaweed?
- Among the surveyed cities in August 2026, Kochi was cheapest at ¥1,870 and Otsu the most expensive at ¥3,413.
- How much have wakame seaweed prices changed in Japan over the past year?
- As of August 2026, +0.8% year on year, measured by Japan's official consumer price index (2020 = 100).
- How much have wakame seaweed prices changed in Japan over the past five years?
- +25.3% compared with the same month five years earlier. The index now reads 124.3.
- When were wakame seaweed prices in Japan at their highest?
- The series peaked at 125.3 in December 2025. The latest reading is -0.8% against that peak.
- 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).