The sharp rise in chicken prices has had a significant impact on both households and the catering industry. Kanto Smart Living Cooperative recommends that homemakers replace chicken with ingredients with similar nutritional value and taste.

TOKYO, JAPAN (MERXWIRE) – The price of domestic chicken in Japan has continued to rise, causing concern and worry among the public and the catering industry. According to data released by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, the average wholesale price of domestic chicken breast in June 2025 reached 538 yen per kilogram, an increase of 46.2% over the same period last year. Chicken thighs were 844 yen per kilogram, representing a 32.7% increase in price.

In the face of rising chicken prices, Kanto Smart Living Cooperative recommends that homemakers consider replacing some of the ingredients with similar nutritional value and taste, such as tofu, eggs, frozen fish sticks, or less expensive cuts of pork (like minced pork). These ingredients are also rich in protein and relatively stable in price. They can be transformed into various home-cooked dishes, such as mapo tofu, egg fried rice, or fish fillet burgers, which are both nutritious and budget-friendly.

Sachiko Tanaka, a customer who usually buys chicken breast, said: “I often buy chicken breast because it is cheaper than pork or beef, and it is a good helper for me to control my budget at the end of the month. But the price has risen a lot recently, which makes me very upset. I don’t know when it will go back down.”

In addition to the increase in household catering consumption, the catering industry is also under pressure. The manager of a fried chicken specialty store said, “This wave of price increases is huge, but we dare not raise the price. We can only save costs from places other than chicken. For example, reduce the use of fryers during non-peak hours to reduce electricity bills.”

Experts pointed out that the main reasons for the increase in chicken prices this time include global inflation, the continued depreciation of the yen, and the interruption of chicken imports from Brazil. Brazil is Japan’s largest chicken importer, accounting for about 70% of the supply. Brazil is Japan’s largest chicken importer, accounting for about 70% of the supply. However, an avian influenza epidemic broke out in Brazil in mid-May this year, exacerbating demand for domestic chicken and putting pressure on prices.

In addition to supply issues, the weakening of the yen has led to an increase in the cost of imports such as feed, which has also significantly increased domestic production costs. Experts point out that as long as the exchange rate remains weak, the price of Japanese domestic chicken will be difficult to stabilize in the short term.

However, there is good news. On June 18, the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture announced that local commercial farms had not found new cases of avian influenza for 28 consecutive days. The ministry stated that commercial chicken flocks were free of virus infection and were moving towards a full resumption of exports. Despite this, experts believe that even if the supply is restored, it will take time for prices to fall, as costs remain high.

Media Contacts:
Kanto Smart Living Cooperative

PR Agency:
MERXWIRE INC.
Ada Huang
pr@merxwire.com

SOURCE: Kanto Smart Living Cooperative