How much does kombu kelp cost in Japan?

¥1,098 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 kombu kelp?

Among the surveyed cities in September 2026, Sasebo was cheapest at ¥747 and Nara the most expensive at ¥1,860.

How much have kombu kelp prices changed in Japan over the past year?

As of September 2026, +14.7% year on year, measured by Japan's official consumer price index (2020 = 100).

How much have kombu kelp prices changed in Japan over the past five years?

+39.4% compared with the same month five years earlier. The index now reads 144.3.

When were kombu kelp prices in Japan at their highest?

Right now. The latest month, September 2026, is the highest reading in the series at 144.3 — 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 1463

Kombu kelp price in Japan

こんぶ

Average retail price

¥1,098per 100 g+14.6% year on year

2026-09 · unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities

Surveyed specification: だしこんぶ，国産品，並

Cheapest surveyed city: ¥747 Sasebo
Priciest surveyed city: ¥1,860 Nara

Price in your city:

¥1,146per 100 g+4.4% vs national average#36 cheapest of 52 cities

See all 52 cities, cheapest first

#	City	Price (JPY) · per 100 g
1	Saga	¥834
2	Nagasaki	¥835
3	Kanazawa	¥854
4	Matsue	¥874
5	Yamagata	¥895
6	Kyoto	¥896
7	Fukui	¥916
8	Kobe	¥921
9	Morioka	¥927
10	Nagano	¥927
11	Kumamoto	¥928
12	Akita	¥938
13	Kagoshima	¥955
14	Otsu	¥958
15	Tokushima	¥990
16	Mito	¥993
17	Niigata	¥1,002
18	Kofu	¥1,003
19	Gifu	¥1,004
20	Fukushima	¥1,010
21	Miyazaki	¥1,015
22	Utsunomiya	¥1,039
23	Sendai	¥1,048
24	Maebashi	¥1,053
25	Hamamatsu	¥1,055
26	Nagoya	¥1,072
27	Matsuyama	¥1,081
28	Wakayama	¥1,085
29	Aomori	¥1,089
30	Naha	¥1,097
31	Shizuoka	¥1,104
32	Sapporo	¥1,111
33	Kochi	¥1,117
34	Hiroshima	¥1,119
35	Kitakyushu	¥1,138
36	Tokyo (23 wards)	¥1,146
37	Chiba	¥1,146
38	Yokohama	¥1,155
39	Tsu	¥1,170
40	Oita	¥1,227
41	Saitama	¥1,229
42	Osaka	¥1,256
43	Kawasaki	¥1,257
44	Tottori	¥1,280
45	Takamatsu	¥1,303
46	Fukuoka	¥1,339
47	Sagamihara	¥1,358
48	Sakai	¥1,389
49	Yamaguchi	¥1,392
50	Toyama	¥1,399
51	Okayama	¥1,659
52	Nara	¥1,860

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

Kombu kelp costs ¥1,098 per 100 g in Japan as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities, up 14.6% from a year earlier. Measured as an index, the official CPI for kombu kelp reads 144.3 (2020 = 100) in September 2026, up 14.7% year on year and up 39.4% over five years.

Kombu kelp sits in the food group of Japan's CPI basket, with 681 monthly observations from January 1970 to September 2026. The series peaked at 144.3 in September 2026 and bottomed at 10.1 in January 1970; the latest reading is at its highest recorded level. Against ten years ago it is +62.0%.

Latest CPI

144.3

2026-09 (2020=100)

YoY %

+14.7%

5y change %

+39.4%

Change since 1970-01

+1,328.7%

Annual average index by year

Annual average consumer price index for Kombu kelp in Japan (2020 = 100)
Year	Index	YoY %	Months
2015	88.9	+1.3%	12
2016	89.2	+0.3%	12
2017	89.3	+0.1%	12
2018	91.9	+2.9%	12
2019	95.2	+3.6%	12
2020	100.0	+5.0%	12
2021	102.8	+2.8%	12
2022	103.4	+0.6%	12
2023	105.9	+2.4%	12
2024	108.6	+2.5%	12
2025	121.0	+11.4%	12
2026	136.5	+12.8%	9

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

Average retail price by month

2026-09	¥1,098
2026-08	¥1,077
2026-07	¥1,059
2026-06	¥1,058
2026-05	¥1,038
2026-04	¥1,028
2026-03	¥1,013
2026-02	¥995
2026-01	¥984
2025-12	¥969
2025-11	¥967
2025-10	¥965
2025-09	¥958

Frequently asked questions

How much does kombu kelp cost in Japan?: ¥1,098 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 kombu kelp?: Among the surveyed cities in September 2026, Sasebo was cheapest at ¥747 and Nara the most expensive at ¥1,860.
How much have kombu kelp prices changed in Japan over the past year?: As of September 2026, +14.7% year on year, measured by Japan's official consumer price index (2020 = 100).
How much have kombu kelp prices changed in Japan over the past five years?: +39.4% compared with the same month five years earlier. The index now reads 144.3.
When were kombu kelp prices in Japan at their highest?: Right now. The latest month, September 2026, is the highest reading in the series at 144.3 — 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).