How much does ballpoint pen cost in Japan?

¥253 per unit, as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 47 surveyed cities in the government's retail price survey.

Which Japanese city has the cheapest ballpoint pen?

Among the surveyed cities in September 2026, Kagoshima was cheapest at ¥209 and Shizuoka the most expensive at ¥275.

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

As of September 2026, +9.8% year on year, measured by Japan's official consumer price index (2020 = 100).

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

+16.0% compared with the same month five years earlier. The index now reads 115.9.

When were ballpoint pen prices in Japan at their highest?

The series peaked at 115.9 in August 2026. The latest reading is 0.0% 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).

Culture & recreation · code 9111

Ballpoint pen price in Japan

ボールペン

Average retail price

¥253per unit+9.4% year on year

2026-09 · unweighted average of 47 surveyed cities

Surveyed specification: 水性，ゲルインキボールペン，クリップスライドノック式，ラバーグリップ付き，〔インクの色〕１色，〔インクの特徴〕こすると消えるタイプ，「フリクションボールノック０５」又は「フリクションボールノック０７」

Cheapest surveyed city: ¥209 Kagoshima
Priciest surveyed city: ¥275 Shizuoka

Price in your city:

¥251per unit-0.8% vs national average#20 cheapest of 47 cities

See all 47 cities, cheapest first

#	City	Price (JPY) · per unit
1	Kagoshima	¥209
2	Miyazaki	¥223
3	Utsunomiya	¥228
4	Kanazawa	¥229
5	Fukui	¥230
6	Sendai	¥234
7	Mito	¥238
8	Fukushima	¥239
9	Hiroshima	¥239
10	Nagano	¥245
11	Otsu	¥245
12	Saitama	¥246
13	Nagoya	¥246
14	Nagasaki	¥247
15	Akita	¥250
16	Maebashi	¥250
17	Kofu	¥250
18	Saga	¥250
19	Oita	¥250
20	Tokyo (23 wards)	¥251
21	Toyama	¥251
22	Wakayama	¥251
23	Matsue	¥251
24	Tokushima	¥251
25	Takamatsu	¥251
26	Matsuyama	¥256
27	Kochi	¥256
28	Fukuoka	¥256
29	Niigata	¥257
30	Osaka	¥257
31	Yamaguchi	¥257
32	Sapporo	¥261
33	Morioka	¥261
34	Gifu	¥261
35	Nara	¥261
36	Tsu	¥262
37	Chiba	¥265
38	Yamagata	¥272
39	Yokohama	¥272
40	Kyoto	¥272
41	Kobe	¥272
42	Tottori	¥272
43	Okayama	¥272
44	Aomori	¥273
45	Kumamoto	¥273
46	Naha	¥274
47	Shizuoka	¥275

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

Ballpoint pen costs ¥253 per unit in Japan as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 47 surveyed cities, up 9.4% from a year earlier. Measured as an index, the official CPI for ballpoint pen reads 115.9 (2020 = 100) in September 2026, up 9.8% year on year and up 16.0% over five years.

Ballpoint pen sits in the culture & recreation group of Japan's CPI basket, with 681 monthly observations from January 1970 to September 2026. The series peaked at 115.9 in August 2026 and bottomed at 58.7 in November 1972; the latest reading is 0.0% against that peak. Against ten years ago it is +14.5%.

Latest CPI

115.9

2026-09 (2020=100)

YoY %

+9.8%

5y change %

+16.0%

Change since 1970-01

+84.8%

Annual average index by year

Annual average consumer price index for Ballpoint pen in Japan (2020 = 100)
Year	Index	YoY %	Months
2015	101.7	0.0%	12
2016	101.1	-0.6%	12
2017	100.5	-0.6%	12
2018	98.6	-1.9%	12
2019	98.5	-0.1%	12
2020	100.0	+1.5%	12
2021	99.8	-0.2%	12
2022	100.1	+0.3%	12
2023	101.5	+1.4%	12
2024	103.7	+2.2%	12
2025	106.0	+2.2%	12
2026	114.2	+7.7%	9

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

Average retail price by month

2026-09	¥253
2026-08	¥254
2026-07	¥253
2026-06	¥250
2026-05	¥250
2026-04	¥249
2026-03	¥247
2026-02	¥248
2026-01	¥241
2025-12	¥240
2025-11	¥239
2025-10	¥237
2025-09	¥231

Frequently asked questions

How much does ballpoint pen cost in Japan?: ¥253 per unit, as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 47 surveyed cities in the government's retail price survey.
Which Japanese city has the cheapest ballpoint pen?: Among the surveyed cities in September 2026, Kagoshima was cheapest at ¥209 and Shizuoka the most expensive at ¥275.
How much have ballpoint pen prices changed in Japan over the past year?: As of September 2026, +9.8% year on year, measured by Japan's official consumer price index (2020 = 100).
How much have ballpoint pen prices changed in Japan over the past five years?: +16.0% compared with the same month five years earlier. The index now reads 115.9.
When were ballpoint pen prices in Japan at their highest?: The series peaked at 115.9 in August 2026. The latest reading is 0.0% 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).