Rules by country / Japan
Which Japanese food and drink rules change your prices?
Pick what you sell. You see only the rules that hit you, what each one means for your prices, and how we help.
4 rules change prices for Japanese food and drink
Coming next first. Open a rule for the detail and our service.
Apr 2027Planned Consumption tax cut on foodFood and soft drinks would pay 1% consumption tax instead of 8% for two years, if the Diet agrees. 1%tax on food from April 2027, now 8% Our serviceTax pass-on planfrom £7,500
The Cabinet approved the bill on 9 October 2026, and the Diet sits until 12 December. Alcohol and eating out stay at 10%.
Every maker and importer of food and soft drinks sold in shops.
How much of the cut to pass on, product by product, and what to do with prices when it ends.
1 Oct 2026In force One beer taxBeer, happoshu and new genre beers all pay 54.25 yen per 350ml. ¥54.25per 350ml can, any beer Our servicePrice gap planfrom £7,500
Beer down from 63.35 yen, happoshu and new genre up from 46.99 yen. Chu-hai up from 28 to 35 yen.
Beer, happoshu, new genre and chu-hai brands.
Prices for the new gaps between beer and its cheaper rivals.
1 Jan 2026In force Duty to negotiate pricesLarger buyers may not refuse a supplier's request to talk price, or set prices on their own. No refusalof a supplier's request to negotiate Our serviceEvidence packfrom £7,500
The Proper Transactions Act covers commissioned work such as own-label manufacturing and logistics. Buyers must negotiate in good faith and explain their price.
Smaller makers producing for larger companies, and the companies that commission them.
Your case for each price rise: your costs, and how sales respond to price.
Oct 2024In force Rules on gifts, prizes and price claimsLimits on free gifts and prize draws, and no misleading 'was' prices or comparisons. 3%of sales: the surcharge for misleading claims Our servicePromotion planfrom £7,500
A gift to every buyer may be worth 200 yen under a 1,000 yen purchase, and 20% of the price above. Higher limits are being considered, possibly from 2027.
Brands and retailers running gifts, prize draws or 'was' prices.
Which promotions pay within the limits, and how to show your savings.
Also worth knowing 1 rule with no direct effect on your prices
- Logistics law for large shippers
Shippers of 90,000 tonnes or more a year must appoint a Chief Logistics Officer and file an efficiency plan.
How it works
One fixed price, agreed before we start. Prices are fixed in pounds sterling; amounts in yen are a guide at October 2026 exchange rates. We're based in the UK and work remotely, in English, under NDA.
A free 15-minute call
Tell us what you sell and which rules worry you. We say whether a review would pay for itself, and quote a fixed price.
Your data
Weekly sales by product and retailer, and your costs. We sign an NDA before anything moves.
Your plan
Prices and promotions for every product, with the profit of each choice, walked through with your team.
Questions
Rules and rates change, so check the official source before making decisions. This page is not tax advice.
Is Japan cutting the consumption tax on food?
A bill approved by the Cabinet on 9 October 2026 would cut it from 8% to 1% for two years from April 2027, alongside cash payments for low and middle earners. It still needs the Diet, which sits until 12 December 2026. Alcohol and eating out would stay at 10%.
What is the consumption tax on food in Japan?
8% on food and non-alcoholic drinks bought in shops, and 10% on alcohol, eating out and most other goods. The planned cut would take food to 1% for two years from April 2027.
How much does a pricing review cost?
A review of up to 10 products has a fixed price from £7,500 (about ¥1.6 million) and takes about three weeks. For 11 to 50 products, a full pricing review costs around £17,500 (about ¥3.7 million). It starts with a free 15-minute call.
Sources for every rule on this page
- Nippon.com (Jiji Press), Japan government adopts legislation on consumption tax cut Checked on 2026-10-25.
- DLA Piper, Major amendments to Japan's Subcontract Act (December 2025) Checked on 2026-10-20.