Tokyo: Price increases and changes to social systems are set to affect Japan from the turn of the month on Saturday.

It is the second year in a row for widespread hikes to foods and services prices, caused by surging materials prices, to weigh on household finances in spring.

Kikkoman Corp. is set to raise the recommended retail price of a liter of its dark soy sauce from 420 yen to 451 yen.
Meanwhile, Kewpie Corp. will hike the price of its mayonnaise products after doing so last October, due to soaring egg prices following the spread of avian flu. The suggested retail price of its 450-gram offering will be raised by 45 yen to 520 yen.
Seasoning maker Ajinomoto Co. is slated to increase shipment prices for its mayonnaise and other goods by about 5 pct to 9 pct.
Morinaga Milk Industry Co. will set the recommended retail price before tax of its Bifidus plain yogurt at 240 yen, up by 10 yen.
Toyo Suisan Kaisha Ltd. is scheduled to raise the price of its three-person serving of Maruchan-brand yakisoba noodles.

According to a survey of 195 major food companies that Teikoku Databank Ltd. released late last month, prices are set to go up for 4,892 food products in April, in the third largest wave of price hikes on a monthly basis since January last year.

“Price increases exceeding year-before levels are seen continuing until June,” a Teikoku Databank official said.

Outside the food industry, Sagawa Express Co. will raise basic parcel delivery fees by an average of about 8 pct.

The beginning of April, which is also the start of a new fiscal year for the government, is also set to bring changes to social systems.

Japan will allow companies to pay salaries into smartphone payment service accounts, and the welfare ministry will begin accepting applications from service operators for the scheme.

The rate of additional pay for overtime work exceeding 60 hours per month at small businesses will be increased from 25 pct to 50 pct.

The amount of lump-sum childbirth allowances will be raised from 420,000 yen to 500,000 yen in principle.

Companies with over 1,000 employees will be required to publish annually the percentage of male employees taking childcare leave.

The government is set to launch the Children and Families Agency, which will serve as the headquarters for dealing with children-related issues that had previously been tackled by multiple ministries and agencies, such as the falling birthrate and child abuse.

Pension benefits for those aged 68 and older will climb by 1.9 pct from fiscal 2022 levels. They will rise at a slower pace than a major inflation rate as the government will activate the so-called macroeconomic slide mechanism to limit the rises in benefit payments.

Medical costs for people using conventional health insurance cards are set to increase, as part of the government’s efforts to promote the use of My Number cards as insurance certificates.

Under a special measure in place through the end of December, people who pay 30 pct of medical costs out of their own pocket will need to pay an extra 6 yen for initial and follow-up medical visits.

Japan will allow so-called Level 4 autonomous driving, which includes fully automated driving, on public roads under certain conditions from Saturday.

Public broadcaster Japan Broadcasting Corp., or NHK, will be able to demand from people refusing to pay viewing fees without a valid reason a surcharge equivalent to double the fees.

JIJI Press