Hidden Inflation Drives Japan Consumers to Price-Tracking Sites

After three decades of falling prices, Japanese consumers are facing a new phenomenon known in other parts of the world as shrinkflation. To cope, they’re turning to grassroots websites that track how items like laundry detergent and instant noodles are getting smaller and more expensive.

Neage.jp, which translates as “price increase” in Japanese, gets about 2,000 visits each day from people seeking pricing and product data, according to Masayuki Iwasa, who created the website after he noticed his favorite chocolate bars getting shorter.