How much does onigiri (rice ball) cost in Japan?

¥166.6 per piece, as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities in the government's retail price survey.

Which Japanese city has the cheapest onigiri (rice ball)?

Among the surveyed cities in September 2026, Nagaoka was cheapest at ¥114 and Hakodate the most expensive at ¥223.

How much have onigiri (rice ball) prices changed in Japan over the past year?

As of September 2026, +0.6% year on year, measured by Japan's official consumer price index (2020 = 100).

How much have onigiri (rice ball) prices changed in Japan over the past five years?

+44.7% compared with the same month five years earlier. The index now reads 144.1.

When were onigiri (rice ball) prices in Japan at their highest?

The series peaked at 146.0 in March 2026. The latest reading is -1.3% 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).

Food · code 1793

Onigiri (rice ball) price in Japan

おにぎり

Average retail price

¥166.6per piece-2.6% year on year

2026-09 · unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities

Surveyed specification: 鮭入り，並

Cheapest surveyed city: ¥114 Nagaoka
Priciest surveyed city: ¥223 Hakodate

Price in your city:

¥187per piece+12.2% vs national average#40 cheapest of 52 cities

See all 52 cities, cheapest first

#	City	Price (JPY) · per piece
1	Kagoshima	¥123
2	Shizuoka	¥126
3	Tottori	¥132
4	Niigata	¥138
5	Saga	¥138
6	Nagano	¥139
7	Miyazaki	¥139
8	Okayama	¥140
9	Oita	¥144
10	Kobe	¥146
11	Kitakyushu	¥146
12	Maebashi	¥147
13	Nagasaki	¥149
14	Tsu	¥152
15	Fukui	¥153
16	Kochi	¥154
17	Toyama	¥155
18	Matsue	¥156
19	Hamamatsu	¥156
20	Matsuyama	¥157
21	Fukuoka	¥158
22	Nagoya	¥162
23	Sakai	¥162
24	Kanazawa	¥163
25	Kofu	¥163
26	Gifu	¥163
27	Otsu	¥168
28	Yamaguchi	¥168
29	Kyoto	¥169
30	Chiba	¥173
31	Osaka	¥173
32	Nara	¥174
33	Yokohama	¥175
34	Hiroshima	¥176
35	Aomori	¥179
36	Takamatsu	¥181
37	Utsunomiya	¥183
38	Wakayama	¥185
39	Sagamihara	¥186
40	Tokyo (23 wards)	¥187
41	Yamagata	¥187
42	Mito	¥187
43	Tokushima	¥189
44	Saitama	¥193
45	Naha	¥193
46	Kumamoto	¥194
47	Sapporo	¥196
48	Sendai	¥196
49	Akita	¥198
50	Fukushima	¥200
51	Morioka	¥203
52	Kawasaki	¥206

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

Onigiri (rice ball) costs ¥166.6 per piece in Japan as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities, down 2.6% from a year earlier. Measured as an index, the official CPI for onigiri (rice ball) reads 144.1 (2020 = 100) in September 2026, up 0.6% year on year and up 44.7% over five years.

Onigiri (rice ball) sits in the food group of Japan's CPI basket, with 321 monthly observations from January 2000 to September 2026. The series peaked at 146.0 in March 2026 and bottomed at 84.8 in November 2013; the latest reading is -1.3% against that peak. Against ten years ago it is +52.0%.

Latest CPI

144.1

2026-09 (2020=100)

YoY %

+0.6%

5y change %

+44.7%

Change since 2000-01

+51.8%

Annual average index by year

Annual average consumer price index for Onigiri (rice ball) in Japan (2020 = 100)
Year	Index	YoY %	Months
2015	93.2	+5.4%	12
2016	94.4	+1.3%	12
2017	95.5	+1.2%	12
2018	97.5	+2.1%	12
2019	99.0	+1.5%	12
2020	100.0	+1.0%	12
2021	99.9	-0.1%	12
2022	101.6	+1.7%	12
2023	111.8	+10.0%	12
2024	120.6	+7.9%	12
2025	139.6	+15.8%	12
2026	145.0	+3.9%	9

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

Average retail price by month

2026-09	¥166.6
2026-08	¥168.2
2026-07	¥168.1
2026-06	¥171.1
2026-05	¥171.8
2026-04	¥173.2
2026-03	¥173.5
2026-02	¥172.4
2026-01	¥171.3
2025-12	¥171.1
2025-11	¥169.9
2025-10	¥169.5
2025-09	¥171.1

Frequently asked questions

How much does onigiri (rice ball) cost in Japan?: ¥166.6 per piece, as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities in the government's retail price survey.
Which Japanese city has the cheapest onigiri (rice ball)?: Among the surveyed cities in September 2026, Nagaoka was cheapest at ¥114 and Hakodate the most expensive at ¥223.
How much have onigiri (rice ball) prices changed in Japan over the past year?: As of September 2026, +0.6% year on year, measured by Japan's official consumer price index (2020 = 100).
How much have onigiri (rice ball) prices changed in Japan over the past five years?: +44.7% compared with the same month five years earlier. The index now reads 144.1.
When were onigiri (rice ball) prices in Japan at their highest?: The series peaked at 146.0 in March 2026. The latest reading is -1.3% 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).