Tweet of the Week #136: From Chips to Tuna, ‘Shrinkflation’ Hits Japan

Japanese consumers regularly lament on Twitter over “shrinkflated” products—goods that are getting smaller but not cheaper. Shrinkflation was coined by British economist Pippa Malmgren and is a disguised inflation practice. It’s also all too common in Japan.

Bags of potato chips, chocolate bars, tuna cans, bento and more, are discreetly getting smaller while their prices stay the same. Wages also haven’t changed much in Japan since the 2000s. This stealthy price tactic (ステルス値上ねあげ) can affect a families’ food budget. Many well-known brands such as Calbee, Meiji, Country Ma’am, and Kewpie have shrunk their products as demonstrated below by user @ppsh41_1945.

Next time you hit the store, double-check the package quantity. You might be surprised by what you find. Shrinkflation, a Japanese website tracking this trend, keeps a list of products that have shrunk in recent years.

The incredible shrinking food

岸田文雄が「アベノミクスで実現した成長の果実」などと言ってますが、それではここで安倍政権下で小さくなった食品の数々を見てみましょう。

賃金は大して増えないのに物価が高騰し、食品もこのように小さくなって国民生活に打撃を与えたのがアベノミクスです。 pic.twitter.com/e82bHSCYNV

— 大神ひろし (@ppsh41_1945) June 12, 2021

岸田文雄（きしだふみお）が「アベノミクスで実現（じつげん）した成長（せいちょう）の果実（かじつ）」などと言（い）ってますが、それではここで安倍政権（あべせいけん）下（か）で小（ちい）さくなった食品（しょくひん）の数々（かずかず）を見（み）てみましょう。

賃金（ちんぎん）は大（たい）して増（ふ）えないのに物価（ぶっか）が高騰（こうとう）し、食品もこのように小さくなって国民生活（こくみんせいかつ）に打撃（だげき）を与（あた）えたのがアベノミクスです。

“Fumio Kishida [the former Minister for Foreign Affairs] says things like ‘the fruits of growth realized by Abenomics,’ but let’s take a look at some of the foods that have become smaller under the Abe administration here.

It is Abenomics that has caused prices to soar while wages have not increased much, and products have become smaller like this, hurting people’s lives.”

The conjunction それでは

Conjunctions are very useful words or expressions used to connect two sentences and the Japanese language has many of them. Today, let’s have a look at それでは, also known as では and the casual じゃ. This conjunction is used following three patterns.

You share your opinions on what precedes.

• 事実（じじつ）だと言ってますが、それでは本当（ほんとう）なんでしょうか?: “They say it’s the truth, but is it really?”
• それではこうしたらどうか?: “In that situation, what should we do?”

You mark the start or the end of a particular situation or topic.

• それではこれで失礼（しつれい）します: “[Then] I’ll leave you to it.”
• それではもういいから行（い）って食（く）うといい:  “Well, that’s set, let’s go and eat.”

Finally, それでは is used as a farewell greetings.

• また会（あ）えるといいね。それでは: “I hope we can meet again, see you then.”

Vocabulary