How much does kimchi cost in Japan?

¥1,130 per kg, as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 47 surveyed cities in the government's retail price survey.

Which Japanese city has the cheapest kimchi?

Among the surveyed cities in September 2026, Otsu was cheapest at ¥674 and Kumamoto the most expensive at ¥1,592.

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

As of September 2026, +2.1% year on year, measured by Japan's official consumer price index (2020 = 100).

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

+18.1% compared with the same month five years earlier. The index now reads 117.5.

When were kimchi prices in Japan at their highest?

Right now. The latest month, September 2026, is the highest reading in the series at 117.5 — 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 1487

Kimchi price in Japan

キムチ

Average retail price

¥1,130per kg+3.5% year on year

2026-09 · unweighted average of 47 surveyed cities

Surveyed specification: はくさいキムチ，蓋付きプラスチック容器入り（１８０～３３０ｇ入り），並

Cheapest surveyed city: ¥674 Otsu
Priciest surveyed city: ¥1,592 Kumamoto

Price in your city:

¥1,100per kg-2.6% vs national average#19 cheapest of 47 cities

See all 47 cities, cheapest first

#	City	Price (JPY) · per kg
1	Otsu	¥674
2	Matsuyama	¥738
3	Gifu	¥864
4	Nara	¥880
5	Oita	¥941
6	Yamagata	¥967
7	Nagoya	¥967
8	Matsue	¥977
9	Toyama	¥993
10	Nagano	¥997
11	Yokohama	¥1,021
12	Sapporo	¥1,038
13	Sendai	¥1,041
14	Maebashi	¥1,054
15	Aomori	¥1,078
16	Kobe	¥1,079
17	Fukushima	¥1,080
18	Niigata	¥1,097
19	Tokyo (23 wards)	¥1,100
20	Kanazawa	¥1,121
21	Kyoto	¥1,131
22	Mito	¥1,143
23	Shizuoka	¥1,143
24	Yamaguchi	¥1,154
25	Chiba	¥1,159
26	Morioka	¥1,163
27	Wakayama	¥1,165
28	Osaka	¥1,169
29	Utsunomiya	¥1,172
30	Kagoshima	¥1,173
31	Takamatsu	¥1,181
32	Fukuoka	¥1,181
33	Hiroshima	¥1,187
34	Akita	¥1,189
35	Tsu	¥1,202
36	Saga	¥1,217
37	Naha	¥1,217
38	Miyazaki	¥1,235
39	Kochi	¥1,238
40	Nagasaki	¥1,250
41	Saitama	¥1,274
42	Fukui	¥1,299
43	Tottori	¥1,305
44	Okayama	¥1,340
45	Tokushima	¥1,445
46	Kofu	¥1,454
47	Kumamoto	¥1,592

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

Kimchi costs ¥1,130 per kg in Japan as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 47 surveyed cities, up 3.5% from a year earlier. Measured as an index, the official CPI for kimchi reads 117.5 (2020 = 100) in September 2026, up 2.1% year on year and up 18.1% over five years.

Kimchi sits in the food group of Japan's CPI basket, with 381 monthly observations from January 1995 to September 2026. The series peaked at 117.5 in September 2026 and bottomed at 94.4 in January 2013; the latest reading is at its highest recorded level. Against ten years ago it is +19.3%.

Latest CPI

117.5

2026-09 (2020=100)

YoY %

+2.1%

5y change %

+18.1%

Change since 1995-01

+18.4%

Annual average index by year

Annual average consumer price index for Kimchi in Japan (2020 = 100)
Year	Index	YoY %	Months
2015	99.5	+1.7%	12
2016	99.5	0.0%	12
2017	99.3	-0.2%	12
2018	100.3	+1.0%	12
2019	99.7	-0.6%	12
2020	100.0	+0.3%	12
2021	99.1	-0.9%	12
2022	100.6	+1.5%	12
2023	103.9	+3.3%	12
2024	104.4	+0.5%	12
2025	110.8	+6.1%	12
2026	116.2	+4.9%	9

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

Average retail price by month

2026-09	¥1,130
2026-08	¥1,127
2026-07	¥1,089
2026-06	¥1,114
2026-05	¥1,115
2026-04	¥1,120
2026-03	¥1,124
2026-02	¥1,097
2026-01	¥1,096
2025-12	¥1,090
2025-11	¥1,101
2025-10	¥1,098
2025-09	¥1,091

Frequently asked questions

How much does kimchi cost in Japan?: ¥1,130 per kg, as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 47 surveyed cities in the government's retail price survey.
Which Japanese city has the cheapest kimchi?: Among the surveyed cities in September 2026, Otsu was cheapest at ¥674 and Kumamoto the most expensive at ¥1,592.
How much have kimchi prices changed in Japan over the past year?: As of September 2026, +2.1% year on year, measured by Japan's official consumer price index (2020 = 100).
How much have kimchi prices changed in Japan over the past five years?: +18.1% compared with the same month five years earlier. The index now reads 117.5.
When were kimchi prices in Japan at their highest?: Right now. The latest month, September 2026, is the highest reading in the series at 117.5 — 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).