The price of products used in daily life such as butter, postcards, and even tires went up on June 1. The main reason for this price hike is the soaring costs of raw materials and labor. Increased restrictions on the sale of alcohol will also see a rise in the price of beer and happoshu (sparkling spirits). The price of tires for passenger cars are expected to go up 5~6% this summer because of the increased material cost, particularly rubber. Revisions to the alcohol tax law which went into effect at the beginning of June will see regulations strengthened to prevent the sale of liquor at overly cheap prices. Dairy producers have also raised the price of butter, due to a reduction in the number of breeding cows and the cost of processing raw milk. Meanwhile, sending a postcard has gone up by ¥10, partly because of raising labor costs. Stores and retailers selling these kinds of products saw a surge in the amount of stock they sold in May with customers looking for last minute bargains before the hike in prices. Source: Asahi Shimbun, 5/31/2017
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