Overview

• The Bank of Japan’s June lifestyle survey shows 75.3% of respondents said prices had “significantly risen” year-on-year, the highest level since records began in 2006.
• A combined 96.1% of participants reported that prices had either “significantly” or “slightly” increased, matching the previous high set in March.
• Average perceived inflation climbed to 19.5%, surpassing the prior survey peak of 19.1%.
• Personal current business sentiment fell by 7.2 points to −67.0, marking its lowest reading since March 2021 and a third straight quarterly decline.
• Persistent hikes in food prices, especially rice, have heightened household financial pressure and emerged as a pivotal issue in the upper house race.