Yamato Transport, a big Japanese logistics company (the country's biggest parcel shipper) is planning a price rise!

"So what?" I hear you ask. Well, it's the first price hike from them in 27 years.

The Japanese press today report on "the most talked-about company at the Bank of Japan right now"

  • the planned increase has raised hopes that it'll encourage other businesses to also raise prices
  • And help the BOJ towards its longtime inflation goal

But (you knew there'd be a but, right?):

  • Not everybody at the BOJ is so optimistic. One skeptic warns that companies could instead decrease the quality of their services while keeping prices flat, or that businesses transfer cost increases to each other instead of their customers. Consumers would be happy not to pay more. But "unless consumers adopt a mindset that accepts a price that properly reflect costs, it will be difficult to achieve a positive economic cycle," the official said.

Anyway, here is the (Nikkei) article for more:

Logistics giant emerges as unexpected savior for central bank
Bank of Japan hopes others follow Yamato Transport and raise prices

Yamamoto Transport had me at their logo:

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ps, Stay tuned for the Bank of Japan announcement today: