FOCUS: Higher prices test Valentine’s Day chocolate-buying Japan consumers

The rising cost of everyday items in Japan is making many consumers anxious amid stagnant wage growth. But chocolates may be an exception as Valentine’s Day approaches. Like many other food items, chocolates are pricier this year, with ingredients for producing them such as cacao and sugar more expensive amid the global inflationary trend. An individual piece of chocolate costs about 7 percent more than it would have a year earlier, according to a survey conducted by a research institute. For people craving chocolate from luxurious overseas brands, the weaker Japanese yen is making them even m…

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