A study by Teikoku Databank on 195 food and beverage manufacturers in Japan has found that the cost of over 600 items is expected to increase, with the number of affected items reducing from last year. The majority of these items are processed foods, including edible seaweed due to poor harvests, and sweets and snacks due to a surge in cocoa costs. The price increase is also attributed to the depreciation of the yen exchange rate, leading to over 8,000 price increases for the first ten months of the year. The survey suggests that if the current exchange rate persists, the price of essential goods will further rise.