Rock, Paper, Scissors Every Sunday... Turning Crisis into Fun Helps Tremendously

What is plaguing everyday people in Japan the most these days is food prices.

According to 195 Japanese food companies, 3,153 items saw price hikes this month, with an average increase rate reaching 10%.

In Tokyo, the price of lunchboxes rose by 26.7% and coffee beans by 31.2% in just one year.

As a result, various events are continuously being held at supermarkets these days to save on food expenses while also providing some fun.

[Supermarket Employee: First is rock! Rock, paper, scissors! Now, those who played rock!]

Here, a rock-paper-scissors event where winners receive free products is held every Sunday.

Various prizes are up for grabs, including seasonal bonito worth about 8,000 won in Korean currency and Japanese beef worth about 84,000 won.

[Rock, paper, scissors! Congratulations.]

What this family received was pears worth about 7,000 won in Korean currency.

[(How does it feel to receive this?) I'm happy. I'm happy.]

The biggest luck was clinched by a family who said it was their first time participating.

[We won.]

They received everything from seasonal bonito to meat for seasoned grilling.

[Consumer: I think I've used up all my luck for the year. I'm trying to cut down on food expenses as much as possible, and this is a really big help.]

At another supermarket, a morning market is held once a week, where the so-called "basket sale"—selling fruits and vegetables that do not meet standard sizes at low prices—is popular.

What this customer grabbed is carrots.

[Let's see how many there are. 2, 4, 6... 18 of them. It's about 200 yen (approx. 1,700 won), so it's truly a blessing.]

At this supermarket chain with over 120 stores in the Kanto region, discount events are held on the final weekend of every month.

Here, Kuroge Wagyu, Japanese beef, is the most popular item.

[Consumer: The one that costs 2,531 yen (approx. 21,000 won) is half price. Half-price beef is something you always buy when it's half price.]

While supermarkets aim to increase their regular customer base, for consumers, it has become a matter of everyday wisdom to weather the era of high inflation while cutting down on expenses even a little.

Rock, paper, scissors at the supermarket... Why? (Oct. 8, 2026, 12:00 News)

Reported by Moon Jun-mo | Produced by Bae Jun-hwi | Video by Moon Hyun-jin | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.