How Much Does Fruit Cost in Japan?

When responding to the question, How much does fruit cost in Japan?, it's difficult to give a comprehensive answer.  One thing we can sure about though, is that the cost of fruit in Japan is seen as exorbitantly high by most foreigners.  

It's an all too common lament of expats in Japan that they're restricted to getting their fruit fix from bananas and cartons of juice as they feel priced out of anything else.  

Why fruit (something that nature can just grow of its own accord) should be so expensive in a land that has a rich variety of climates, fertile volcanic soil, and plenty of money remains a frustration.  It might be something to do with our hosts almost jingoistic attitude to home-grown stuff.  It's seen as way better than any of that foreign stuff, so they charge more for it.  

Blame could also be laid upon ultra-expensive fruit pusher, Sembikiya, who, some might say cynically, created a market out of portraying fruit like it was a designer hand bag, and flogging it off to anyone rich enough and stupid enough to buy it.  

Turns out there are a lot of people who are rich and stupid.  Or just stupid.  

If you can sense some expensive fruit-based frustration, you're spot on.  Just thinking about the cost of fruit in Japan is annoying.  A reaction typical of most expats.  Why, a former colleague even ditched Japan all together and moved to Taiwan so he could afford to eat fruit.

Anyway, it is what it is.  To give you an idea of how much fruit costs in Japan, we did some research at two of our local supermarkets; Seiyu and Daiei.  The former could considered cheap.  Daiei considers itself a bit posh and is not the place for most people to do the bulk shopping.  Still, fruit in Japan is fruit in Japan - it's probably expensive where ever you get it.  Let's see.  

All prices below are in Japanese yen.  Price is for a single piece of fruit unless stated otherwise.

We need to be clear that the cost of fruit in Japan can fluctuate quite dramatically.  This is often down to unfavorable / favorable climates.  

It should be noted that apples in Japan are very large (not that that makes the prices acceptable).

When we talked about the tub of blueberries and the pack of cherries, no weights were declared.  Suffice to say though, the packaging was small.  

Notable absentees from this list above must be strawberries (maybe around 400 yen for a pack), and satsumas (300 - 500 yen for a bag of around 6-8).  It's currently not the season for them here in Japan.

So, how much does fruit cost in Japan?  Well, we hope the list above can give you an idea.  We also hope it doesn't put you off living in Japan.  There's cheap stuff over here, honest!  Just not the fruit, we're afraid.

Related

Price of food items in Japan set to rise during the fall

Learn more about Japan's really expensive fruit (we mean the 'designer' stuff).  Check out this earlier post about Sembikiya:  

What did you spend 20,000 yen on a mango for?! Expensive Fruit In Japan

Why fruit is so expensive in Japan? This article from newspaper The Independent makes for an interesting read: 

Why is fruit so expensive in Japan?

On the CITY-COST JAPAN YOUTUBE CHANNEL: 

COST OF LIVING IN JAPAN in 2022, inflation & the weak yen