実質値上げ

• Reading: じっしつねあげ
• Romaji: jisshitsu neage
• Kanji breakdown: 実質 (substantial, in effect) + 値上げ (price increase) → effective/stealth price increase; shrinkflation
• Pronunciation: /d͡ʑis.ɕi.t͡su.ne.a.ɡe/

Meaning

Shrinkflation; keeping the same price but reducing quantity or quality — a stealth price increase.

A term that went viral as consumers noticed their favorite snacks getting smaller while prices stayed the same. 実質値上げ is seen as sneakier than direct 値上げ because companies hope customers won't notice. Japanese consumers are extremely attentive to this — there are entire social media accounts dedicated to documenting which products have shrunk. It's become a symbol of corporate dishonesty in the public eye.

Examples

1. このポテチ、前より明らかに量減ってる。実質値上げじゃん。 These chips are obviously smaller than before. That's shrinkflation right there.
2. 実質値上げを見つけるとSNSで晒される時代。 We live in an age where shrinkflation gets called out on social media the moment it's spotted.
3. 値段据え置きでも内容量減ってたら実質値上げだよね。 Even if the price stays the same, if there's less inside, it's basically a price hike.

Usage Guide

Context: social media, news, daily conversation

Tone: critical, observant

Do Say

• 実質値上げされてるの気づいた？パッケージ同じなのに中身減ってる。 (Did you notice the stealth price increase? Same packaging but less inside.)
• 実質値上げって素直に値上げするより印象悪いよね。 (Shrinkflation actually looks worse than just raising the price honestly.)

Don't Say

• 品質改良で量が変わった場合は「実質値上げ」とは限らない — if a product was reformulated with better ingredients, a smaller size may not be shrinkflation

Common Mistakes

• Calling every package redesign 実質値上げ — sometimes packaging changes are genuine updates, not sneaky downsizing

Origin & History

From 実質 (substantial, in effect) + 値上げ (price increase). Gained widespread usage from the early 2020s as Japanese food manufacturers reduced package sizes while maintaining prices, and consumers began documenting and sharing these changes online.

Cultural Context

Era: Term existed earlier, viral phenomenon from 2020s

Generation: All ages, especially observant shoppers

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used nationwide. Japanese consumers are famously detail-oriented about product sizes, and shrinkflation documentation has become a social media genre.