値上げ

• Reading: ねあげ
• Romaji: neage
• Kanji breakdown: 値 (price, value) + 上げ (raise, increase) → price hike; raising prices
• Pronunciation: /ne.a.ɡe/

Meaning

A price increase; raising the price of goods or services, especially when it impacts daily life.

After decades of deflation, Japan entered a period of significant 値上げ from 2022 onward, driven by global inflation, a weak yen, and rising raw material costs. The word became a constant fixture in news and daily conversation. Every food price increase, every restaurant surcharge, every utility bill hike gets discussed as 値上げ. It's a source of genuine anxiety for households and dominates consumer sentiment discussions.

Examples

1. また卵の値上げ？もう何回目だよ。 Eggs are going up again? How many times has it been now?
2. 値上げラッシュが止まらなくて家計がきつい。 The nonstop wave of price hikes is really squeezing household budgets.
3. お気に入りのランチの店も値上げしてて悲しい。 Even my favorite lunch spot raised their prices — that's depressing.

Usage Guide

Context: news, daily conversation, social media

Tone: concerned, frustrated

Do Say

• 4月からまた値上げするものリスト見た？やばいよ。 (Did you see the list of things getting more expensive from April? It's bad.)
• 値上げ分を節約で吸収するのも限界がある。 (There's a limit to how much you can absorb price increases through saving.)

Don't Say

• 店員に直接「値上げしすぎ」と文句を言うのは筋違い — complaining about price increases to store staff is misdirected; they don't set prices

Common Mistakes

• Using 値上げ for naturally fluctuating prices like stocks — it's typically for fixed/listed prices of goods and services

Origin & History

From 値 (price, value) + 上げ (raise). A standard term that became a social buzzword from 2022 as Japan experienced its most significant inflation in decades after years of deflation.

Cultural Context

Era: Standard term, culturally dominant from 2022 onward

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal, especially felt by middle and lower income

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. A constant topic since 2022 as Japan transitioned from decades of deflation to inflation.